


Invisible String

by riaxren



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Background GingerRose, Ben keeps putting his foot in it, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Fluff, Praise Kink, Size Difference, Smut, background stormpilot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:13:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 71,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25953517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/riaxren/pseuds/riaxren
Summary: Rey’s hand shoots out to her side and she non-verbally summons her wand back into her palm before it even hits the ground. She rebounds his stupid smirk right back at him, with some added venom.Before she can finish the incantation in her head, Ben takes a step forward and bellows, “STUPEFY!”.His spell hits Rey square in the chest and she is rocketed backward, her feet yanked from underneath her.Rey grabs her moke skin book bag, flings it over her shoulder and storms from Professor Kenobi's classroom.Ben Solo is a dick.---Rey Niemand's seventh year at Hogwarts is flipped upside down when Ilvermony transfer Ben Solo thunders into her life.She doesn't know why he seems so determined to continually piss her off, but she does know one thing. She despises him.
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey & Ben Solo, Rey & Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 344
Kudos: 532





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! This is my first attempt at a multi-chapter AU fic, so any feedback is very greatly appreciated.
> 
> There are lots of additional notes at the end.

Rey holds her breath as the magnificent ornate doors of the Hogwarts Great Hall swing open in front of her. The graceful golden light of a thousand candles within reaches out to welcome her home. She smiles softly to herself and lets out a slow, steadying breath before following her friends and classmates inside.

Every new school year that Rey has entered this room, she has made sure to savour this moment. The moment of returning to the only place in the world in which she feels that she belongs.

She is trying to stifle the voice in her head reminding her that this is her final year and therefore the final time that she will walk in to this wonderous hall with a seemingly endless stream of possibilities laid in front of her.

Rey adopts her favourite spot at the top end of the Gryffindor table, facing inward to the rest of the room, and glances up again at the enchanted, star streaked ceiling. It really _is_ hard to believe that there is a ceiling there at all and that the Great Hall doesn’t simply open on to the heavens.

Finn sinks into his usual spot to her right and Rey is suddenly aware that he is eyeing her anxiously.

“Are you okay, peanut?”, he asks in a small and gentle voice.

“I’m fine,” she rips her eyes away from the inky sky above her and offers him what she hopes is a reassuring smile, “just feeling a bit…”. She shrugs.

He reaches for her hand and gives it a tender squeeze. “Me too”, he murmurs.

Rey’s eyes sail over the bobbing heads still taking their seats and spots Rose at the Hufflepuff table on the opposite side of the hall. Rose grins, excitedly waving her hands at them by way of greeting and Rey _beams_ at her in return.

The relief of being reunited with her best friends, after missing them so very much all summer, washes over her like a warm breeze.

Before Rey can think any more on this being their final year together in this place, there is a loud sigh as Jannah dramatically drops onto the bench opposite them.

Finn cranes his neck to look in the direction from which she approached and frowns when he apparently doesn’t spot what he is looking for.

“Where’s Poe and Kaydel?”, he asks, almost to himself.

“Oh, they’re just behind me, some third years set off stink pellets on the Hogwarts Express, so Poe has been giving them the verbal battering of their _lives_ ”, Jannah responds through a slight giggle, “Kay stayed with him as back up- two Prefects are better than one or something- _I_ stayed for the laughs”.

Finn snorts. “Like _he’s_ never unloaded a good stink pellet in his time”.

At that moment a streak of black robes and blonde hair comes _hurtling_ up the aisle toward them. Kaydel skids to a halt in front of them and thuds onto the seat beside Jannah, panting and waving her hands in a frantic motion.

She leans in toward the middle of the table, her face scarlet red and clammy.

“Have you _heard?!”_ , she wheezes through heaving breaths.

Her audience instinctively mimics her moment and lean closer to her, entranced.

Before any of them have even half a second to gather a vague attempt at a guess or a question, she continues, “there’s a _new student-_ a new seventh year!”.

The group all just stare at her blankly.

“And where did you hear _that_?”, Finn queries.

Kaydel gulps in a large dose of air but before she can answer, a new voice chimes in from behind Rey.

“We heard Skywalker telling Kenobi about it as we were walking up from the carriages”, says Poe in an unphased tone as he takes up the spot on Rey’s left. He leans across Rey’s back to squeeze Finn’s shoulder.

Kaydel is nodding at a rate so quick that it makes Rey dizzy to watch. “It sounds like he’s a transfer from Ilvermony- “.

“ _He?”_ , Jannah interrupts.

The pace of Kaydel’s nodding gets even more rapid. “Yes, _he_ \- we heard Headmaster Skywalker say something about _his_ mother and aurors- maybe it’s his mum that’s the auror- no, no, his sister is Skywalker’s mum- wait that doesn’t make sense at all- “. She trails off and begins to gesture as though trying to add these facts up on her fingers.

Poe airily waves a hand, “basically there’s a new kid and someone’s sister somewhere in the mix. They both spoke like they _knew_ him, too. Kenobi said something about _not giving him a hard time_ ”. He shrugs. “Kay was too hysterical at this point to actually _listen_ to what anyone was saying, and I lost the tail end of their conversation while chasing her up the pathway in a rush to tell you lot”.

Rey, usually sceptical of rumours, is especially dubious about this particular one. “If there was a new student on the train, we _definitely_ would have heard about it”, she says, “or you know, _seen him_ at the carriages”.

Kaydel jokingly wags a finger at her. “Not if they bought him in separate from the rest of us”.

Rey scoffs and then bursts into laughter at Kaydel’s defiant expression, who is still shaking her finger around in a manner reminiscent of their History of Magic teacher, Professor Threepio.

Chuckles begin then to break out among the group and the surrounding ear-wiggers whose attention has been seized by Kaydel’s flailing arms and hushed voice.

There is the sound of a throat being cleared and every head in the room whips to look in Professor Tano’s direction.

She is standing front and centre of the hall and has silently placed a small, wooden four-legged stall at her side.

Atop the stool sits a tatty, frayed brown wizard’s hat. It looks as though it has been patched together and repaired countless times over the centuries.

A rip across the brim of the hat’s fabric opens wide like a mouth- and the Sorting Hat _bursts_ into one of its famous opening songs:

_Greeting students, old and new_

_Another year is here_

_I’m the Hogwarts Sorting Hat_

_Please kindly lend your ear_

_The founders of this fine old school_

_Gave me brains to boot_

_So, I may look in you and see_

_The house which best you suit_

_You may belong in Gryffindor_

_Whom cherish nerve and daring_

_Your courage, strength and chivalry_

_Could make the perfect pairing_

_Or maybe with wise Ravenclaw_

_They’re slick, witty and smart_

_Your cleverness and intellect_

_Could set you far apart_

_Perhaps your place is Hufflepuff_

_So reliable and kind_

_There you will find loyalty_

_And those of dedicated mind_

_Or there’s cunning Slytherin_

_Unmatched in their ambition_

_With ingenious resourcefulness_

_They always reach their mission_

_Now you know the houses four_

_I’ve sung my sorting song_

_Now pop me on and I will tell you_

_Where you best belong_

Professor Tano waits for the Sorting Hat’s words to finish ringing through the crowd and a small spattering of applause can be heard as she unfurls a long length of parchment, which she holds out in front of her nose.

She takes a moment to graze her vivid blue eyes across the young faces in front of her and smiles warmly down at the nervous first years before she begins calling out their names in a loud, clear voice.

The small figures gradually fumble their ways up to the front of the hall and the Sorting Hat is placed onto their heads. Some of them are so small in fact, that the hat falls over their eyes completely.

One by one, decisions are called out and are met by roaring applause from their corresponding table.

Rey watches the entire sorting ceremony with acute focus, but no such mysterious boy makes an appearance.

She shakes her head and exhales one breathy laugh. Rumours spread in this castle quicker than a Niffler after a sickle.

Then again, they _might_ sort a transferred student privately, right? If there were in theory ever such a scenario.

As the last of the first years join their houses and Headmaster Skywalker steps up to the owl lectern to commence his welcoming speech, Rey leans forward onto her elbows so that she can see down the length of the Gryffindor benches.

She forges a pouting, indifferent expression to give the impression that she is simply bored of the ceremonies. She inspects each face down the room.

“-another year at Hogwarts- “, the Headmaster’s voice booms somewhere in the edges of Rey’s awareness.

No new Gryffindors beside the first years.

Bringing her hand up to her face, she cradles her cheek in her palm to add gravity to her ‘bored’ routine.

Kaydel, however, is now staring her dead in the face, eyes narrowed in suspicion.

“-few words before we all become too befuddled by our excellent-“

Rey pretends she hasn’t noticed this and continues her perusing with the Ravenclaw table in front of her.

A fresh-faced boy whose name Rey remembers from the sorting ceremony as Temiri Blagg catches her gaze and his eyes widen in horror. Rey is dumbstruck for a moment before realising that it must look like she is shooting _daggers_ toward the other houses in some sort of intimidation tactic.

_Nice one, Rey, let’s scare the new kids shitless on their first night,_ she mentally scolds herself.

Rey wrinkles her nose at him and flashes Temiri a playful smile and his posture relaxes a little. He musters a sheepish smile of his own.

Upon completion of her inspection of the Ravenclaw table, there is nothing, or rather no one to report there either.

“-congratulate our own Mister Tarkin, celebrating his 20th year as caretaker- “.

Rey pushes her attention further across the room, to the Slytherin table.

There.

She spots him _instantly_.

She straightens her back and cocks her head as though this will help her see him more clearly.

Not that it makes a shred of difference. He sits about a foot taller than any other student around him.

⋆ ⋆ ⋆

Rey’s first thought aside from how unnecessarily _large_ he is is that he has the most _luscious_ hair that she has ever seen on a human man. She has the instantaneous urge to run her fingers through the thick, dark waves. To _smell_ them.

Her second thought is how desperately _sad_ he looks. Like he has the weight of the entire world on his shoulders.

He sits hunched over as though trying to make himself as small as possible, staring moody holes into his own interlocked fingers.

Brushing her eyes over his features, Rey determines that he is also very handsome in an unconventional way. Even from this distance she can see clearly the striking contrast of his dark eyes and lashes over the pale white skin of his face, which is dusted with beauty marks and freckles, as beautiful as the starry night sky above him.

His long, sharp nose, slightly too large for his narrow face, is balanced perfectly by his full and pillow-y lips.

Rey’s own lips part slightly, and her breath catches in her chest as she stares at those lips.

His head snaps up as though he has somehow _heard_ her tiny gasp, and those dark eyes lock onto hers.

“as always, curfew is 10pm, the forbidden forest is _out of bounds_ unless- “, Rey slams her gaze back toward the teachers table.

Still with her mouth hanging open, she coaxes an expression onto her features that she _hopes_ looks as though she is really engrossed in whatever it is Headmaster Skywalker is saying and begins to absentmindedly rub her earlobe.

A few minutes pass and Rey is smugly convinced that she has done a good job covering up her gawking.

She risks a quick look in the new Slytherin’s direction.

He is still staring at her.

No, not staring.

_Scowling_.

She is mulling whether she is embarrassed or irritated that he is now practically staring her out when the Headmaster gives two thunderous claps to mark the start of the welcome feast.

Rey smells the food before her eyes can adjust to it manifesting in front of her and her mouth begins to water instantaneously. Any thoughts of _Hair Boy_ , as Rey dubs him, evaporate into mist.

The wood grain of the table is now impossible to see underneath the giant golden dishes stacked with succulent roast chicken, juicy roast beef, perfectly prepared bacon, roasted potatoes, steak pies, carrots, peas, gravy, all of Rey’s favourite things.

She piles _everything_ on to her plate. So much that her Yorkshire pudding keeps toppling off of the peak of the delicious mountain and on to the table. After the fourth time recovering it from somewhere near Kaydel’s plate, she just shovels it into her mouth, whole, along with a handful of peas.

She barely stops to chew.

Jannah and Kaydel are swapping ideas for new Quidditch strategies, with the occasional grunt of agreement from Finn or Poe. Rey is oblivious to anything other than tackling her plate of food until Jannah says her name and wakes her from her food induced stupour.

“Rey”, she says expectantly, “what do you think?”.

Rey looks up from her plate, cheeks bulging with food.

She nods, not actually aware of what she is agreeing with.

As if she already knows that his eyes are on her, she looks in the direction of the Slytherin’s.

He is _still_ staring at her.

But he doesn’t look angry anymore.

He looks almost… exasperated?

His eyebrows are furrowed together in a concerned look, but his mouth is twisted on one side in a half smile.

It’s the same expression that Rose has about her when she is giving Rey and Finn a dressing down for ‘being naughty’.

Rey swallows slowly and busies herself with finishing her dinner, albeit a little slower than her usual tactic of simply inhaling it.

She soon becomes distracted with the chatter amongst her friends. They laugh, they crack jokes, they talk plans for the year, anxieties about the impending exams that complete their N.E.W.T.s and how they intend to run away with the Quidditch cup this year.

Rey very almost forgets all about the strange gargantuan that is staring at her for the rest of the evening.

⋆ ⋆ ⋆

When the feast is over and every belly is stuffed full enough to burst, Poe and Kaydel spring to their feet and begin rounding up the first years to escort them to their dormitories.

Kaydel greets the girls with an almost sing-song voice and Rey watches her bounce down the aisles, still audibly dishing out facts about the castle, even as she rounds the corner into the hallway.

Poe’s approach with the boys is less delicate, he simply waves a hand over his head and booms, “follow me, freshers!”.

Rey and Finn meander toward the Great Hall’s exit and hover by the doors, waiting for Rose to work her way through the crowds.

When she reaches them, she _flings_ her arms around Rey and begins to make a noise that Rey can only describe as a _squeak_.

Rey squeezes her friend close and feels Rose swing her arm out to sweep Finn into the embrace.

They stand for what feels like an hour in their awkward three-way hug. Rose is the first to break away. She spins toward the hallway and slings her arms around the necks of her companions, straining to reach them both towering over her small frame.

“So, my friends”, there is a serious note in her voice, “we need to talk send offs”.

Finn side eyes her warily.

Rose continues, “I have had Pae-Pae’s little _light show_ hanging over me all summer. She _must_ be outdone”.

Rose’s older sister, Paige, had graduated the previous year. During the six years that the Tico sisters had both attended Hogwarts, they had become possibly the two most notorious pranksters the school had ever seen. On the rare occasion that they had been caught in the act, they had almost always managed to sweet talk their way out of any punishment.

On her final day, Paige had set off a dazzling firework display in the main courtyard as a farewell to her beloved school.

The sisters were fiercely loyal to each other, but even more fiercely competitive.

There was simply no way that Rose wasn’t going to try and one-up.

They drift down the hallway together, still locked in Rose’s embrace, listening to her repertoire of ideas that vary in their level of wild and unrealistic. When they reach the stairs that lead down to the Hufflepuff Common Room she releases her vice grip around their shoulders and lets out an overexaggerated yawn.

“Anyway… I’m about to slip into a food coma. Catch you tomorrow?”, she waves sluggishly as she vanishes down the stairway.

Rey and Finn trudge up the grand staircase, their legs heavy as lead from the days travel and the monumental amount of food they had consumed.

When they reach Gryffindor Tower, they mumble something that resembles “goodnight” to one another and drag themselves up the stairs to their respective dormitories.

Jannah and Kaydel aren’t in their beds yet, so the dorm is peacefully silent.

At this point Rey is so exhausted that she contemplates just sleeping in her clothes, but eventually she summons the energy to pull them off and discards them on the floor beside her four-poster bed.

Rifling through her trunk, she pulls out her comfiest pyjamas and wiggles into them; a matching white cotton set decorated with a cute Golden Snitch print that had been last year’s Christmas gift from Poe.

Rey throws back the thick red blankets that lay on her bed and collapses onto the mattress. She pulls the duvet right up to her chin and shimmies her hips as though trying to burrow herself deeper between the soft layers.

She closes her heavy eyelids and takes a slow, deep breath. The faintest smile creeps onto her lips and a warm, content feeling flushes from her chest, spreading through every inch of her being.

When Kaydel and Jannah tiptoe into the dormitory a half hour later, Rey is still smiling in her sleep.

She is home.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Harry Potter References

[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Hogwarts_School_of_Witchcraft_and_Wizardry)

[The Great Hall](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Great_Hall)

[The Hogwarts Houses](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Hogwarts_Houses)

[The Hogwarts Express](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Hogwarts_Express)

[Stink Pellet](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Stink_Pellets)

[Ilvermony School of Witchcraft and Wizardry](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Ilvermorny_School_of_Witchcraft_and_Wizardry)

[Auror](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Auror)

[History of Magic Class](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/History_of_Magic)

[The Sorting Hat](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Sorting_Hat)

[The Sorting Ceremony](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Sorting_ceremony)

[Niffler](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Niffler)

[The Start-of-Term Feast](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Start-of-Term_Feast)

[The Forbidden Forest](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Forbidden_Forest)

[Quidditch](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Quidditch)

[N.E.W.T.s](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Nastily_Exhausting_Wizarding_Test)

Paige Tico's fireworks show is based on [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrAe0XI7mis) iconic moment from the Weasley twins,

[Hufflepuff Common Room](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Hufflepuff_Common_Room)

[The Grand Staircase](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Grand_Staircase)

[Gryffindor Tower](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Gryffindor_Tower)

[Gryffindor Common Room](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Gryffindor_Common_Room)

[Gryffindor Dormitories](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Gryffindor_Boys%27_Dormitory)

[Golden Snitch](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Golden_Snitch)

Star Wars References

[Temiri Blagg](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Temiri_Blagg) \- for my Last Jedi people.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote that Sorting Song myself and honestly it took me longer than the whole rest of the chapter...
> 
> I'm super excited to go on this journey with all of these goofs, I have tonnes of ideas. There will be fluff, smut, Quidditch and probably lots of wand innuendos.
> 
> Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed and please let me know your thoughts!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who has read the first chapter and sent feedback so far!
> 
> I'm going to aim to post a new chapter at least once a week.

Rey is awoken early the next morning with a hot sliver of sunlight streaked across her face.

She remembers where she is and exhales a content purr, rolling over so that the intrusive light is now dashed across her back, warming her spine through her pyjamas.

For a while she just stays there, curled up and soaking in the warmth of the dormitory.

Gradually she begins to drift back into a faint sleep.

Then it’s as if someone throws a bucket of icy water over her head as it dawns on her that her very first class of the new term is _Potions_. With _Snoke_.

She whines and pushes her face into her pillow.

Finn is already awake and draped across the sofa in front of the common room’s fireplace when she reluctantly stomps down the dormitory stairs.

He drops the edition of the Daily Prophet that he is browsing through down onto the small table beside him and rocks his weight up and to his feet. He turns to face her and as soon as he spots Rey’s sulky expression, he sniggers and rolls his eyes in an exaggerated fashion.

Rey folds her arms across her chest in defiance, knitting her eyebrows together and pursing her lips at him.

“ _You’re_ the one that convinced _both_ of us to take Potions as a N.E.W.T!”, he says through hearty laughter as he weaves around the couch toward her.

“Do you think it’s too late to drop out?”, Rey whimpers and sticks her bottom lip out as Finn wraps an arm around her shoulder, guiding her toward the Fat Lady's portrait hole.

“Cheer up”, he says as they clamber through into the hallway beyond, “you never know, maybe Snoke grew a heart over the summer break!”.

Snoke had _not_ grown a heart over the summer break.

As the seventh years take their seats at the high tables of the dingy Potions classroom and quietly chatter amongst themselves, his shrill voice cuts through the room out of nowhere.

“SILENCE. IMMEDIATELY”, he screeches.

Rey just about jumps out of her skin with a small gasp, as do half the class.

Snoke is stood behind his large mahogany desk, sneering at the pupils. He leans forward onto the dark wood with his weight balanced on the fingertips of his skeletal hands.

Rey thinks that his emaciated wrists look as though they could snap under the pressure and her stomach turns at the thought.

His gangly figure leans further forward, and the sickly pale green light of the dungeon illuminates the deep-set crevices and pock marks in his grey skin.

Snoke’s glare lingers on Rey for a few seconds and his upper lip twitches in disgust. He has always had a special hatred for her and Finn, she suspects because they are both muggle-born, although of course he has never had the bollocks to admit it.

Rey glares right back at the vile old ghoul.

“The standards of this _excuse_ for a N.E.W.T level class were a _disgrace_ last year”, he practically spits the words out and slams his hand into the desk to accentuate his rage, “if I do not see _drastic_ improvements, _AND_ _QUICKLY,_ I _will_ begin dismissing people _FROM MY COURSE_ ”.

The room is so eerily silent as he embarks on his rant that Rey is convinced she can hear Finn blink beside her.

Snoke stretches to his full height and gives one flick of his unusually short birchwood wand. In front of her, Rey’s copy of _Advanced Potion-Making_ splits open, the cover thudding against the desk as it lands on the instructions for brewing the Potion for Dreamless Sleep.

“ _PROCEED_ ”, rings that vile voice.

There is the sound of stools scraping against the flagstone floor and the class disperses through the room to gather the required ingredients from the hundreds of jars and decanters that line the cold walls.

Rey is elbow deep in a tall glass container, scrabbling to scoop up the sopophorous beans that rest at the bottom, when she is startled by an unfamiliar voice _above_ her.

“Have you tried just _tipping_ them out?”. The voice is deep and husky, yet silky at the same time. Like firewhiskey.

Rey is most taken aback by the melodic twang of his accent. It is a far way apart from the prim and proper English tones that she is so attuned to hearing every day.

_Silly,_ she thinks, _Ilvermony transfer-_ _of course he would have an accent._

She whirls round and comes face to face with a brick wall of muscle.

Even through his charcoal school sweater and emerald trimmed robes, she can see the definition in _Hair Boy’s_ chest.

Rey’s eyes skim slowly up his wide shape and she has to take a small step backward to be able to tilt her head back far enough to look into his face.

He is frowning ever so slightly, impatience etched into the lines around his plush lips.

Why is he always _frowning?_

She holds out her fist and then splays her fingers open to show him the half a dozen beans that she has scavenged.

“Not to worry”, she chirps, and is shocked to hear the smugness in her voice, “I’ve already got _more_ than I need”.

Quick as a snidget, he plucks half of the beans from her outstretched hand. The warmth of his large fingers brush against the sensitive skin of her palm and she can’t help but notice how _massive_ they are compared to her own slender digits.

Rey blinks slowly up at him and throws her own scowl at him, her mouth hanging open in disbelief at his nerve.

“Well then, _thank you_ , Rey”, he says, matching her smug tone, and turns away.

She gawps at his back as he walks away. He doesn’t look back at her even for a second as he takes his place next to his fellow Slytherins; Hux and Phasma.

Rey gets the gut sensation that he _knows_ she is staring after him and is intentionally making an effort not to look back.

When she dazedly sits back down opposite Finn, her cheeks are scorching hot. Whether it is down to anger, embarrassment or shyness, Rey is undecided.

Abruptly she is yanked out of her reverie by Finn’s voice.

“I grabbed you this before Xi’an could take it all”, he mumbles as he slides a small vial of honeywater across the desk toward her without looking up from Libatius Borage’s complicated recipe.

“Have I ever told you you’re the best?”, she thanks him as she pours the contents into her already simmering concoction. He raises a half-hearted thumbs up in acknowledgement.

A thin steam begins to rise from Rey’s cauldron and she idly stirs the mix clockwise, watching the honeywater shimmer as it is whirled around.

Rey finds her eyes magnetically being pulled in _his_ direction, but she hastily diverts her attention back to her own task.

Two can play his little game.

She focusses intensely on chopping up ingredients, measuring out herbs, tying stems together, by way of distraction.

With a gentle sigh, she chucks her beans into the mix. They hit the surface with a satisfying _plop_ and sink to the bottom.

The remainder of the lesson passes painfully slowly, but Rey follows the Dreamless Sleep Potion instructions _to a tee_.

When she is finished, Rey steps back from the table, brushing away the stray hairs stuck to her damp forehead. She rests her hands on her hips and relishes in her handiwork.

The liquid bubbling in her cauldron is a rich, deep purple hue and has the faintest smell of lavender and chamomile.

She is, by all means, _very_ pleased with herself.

Finn peers over the top of his own perfect recreation and nods at Rey, impressed. He holds his hand up toward her and she meets his high five with a _grin_.

They are ripped unceremoniously from their moment of pride by Snoke’s piercing scream. “SILENCE. Present your brews”.

Rey strains her potion into a small spherical bottle, corks it and cautiously places it at the end of her desk to await inspection.

Snoke begins to slither between the desks, spitting various insults and reprimands into each student’s direction.

When the time comes for him to sneer down at Rey’s offering, she straightens up and stares him directly in his gaunt, haggard face. She knows there’s simply _nothing_ bad he can say about this-

“Dismal”, he croaks.

Rey just stares at him. “I- what?”, she stammers.

“I _said,_ you pathetic little skrewt, your efforts are _dismal_ ”, his voice icy yet dripping with satisfaction, “you seem surprised at your failure, Miss Niemand, but then again you always have had an _astronomically_ high opinion of yourself”.

He slides away to begin tearing into his next victims and Rey can only scowl into the back of his ragged golden robes.

Her gaze follows Snoke as he reaches the Slytherin’s table. He barely even looks at the tall vial of Dreamless Sleep sitting in front of _Hair Boy_ before clapping his hands together in glee.

“Marvellous! How marvellous. I may yet find some respite from this utterly pathetic group from you, Ben Solo”, he drawls.

Ben Solo.

Something in Rey’s mind jolts and she realises that this is the first time she has heard his _name_.

Snoke’s voice fades out of Rey’s awareness as he moves on to his next critiques, but her eyes stay fixed on Ben. He is hunched and staring into his clenched hands again, as though willing himself to disappear.

It happens so fast that she’s not sure if she imagined it, but Rey could swear that Ben’s eyes sheepishly flick to her face and quickly back down to his fists, as if checking for her reaction or confirming if she is watching.

Rey is still staring at him when Snoke dismisses the miserable, dejected pupils from the displeasure of his company. They hurriedly begin to gather up their belongings. Some students simply scoop their loose things into their arms and scurry through the door, eager to get away from that miserable dungeon and back into daylight.

As Rey skulks to Transfiguration with Professor Jarrus, any anger toward Snoke in her has dissipated.

She can only think about one thing.

Finn is yammering away beside her the whole way up to the first floor, but to Rey it becomes white noise in the rear of her consciousness as she rolls his name through her mind over and over again.

Ben. Solo.

⋆ ⋆ ⋆

The first few days of Rey’s seventh year pass in a blurry haze.

She can’t help but notice Ben Solo here and there, always looking obnoxiously large and like he would rather be anywhere else. There is something about him that Rey finds so… _intriguing_.

And then their teachers begin to load a crippling amount of work onto them, and any thoughts of Ben are pushed straight out of Rey’s mind.

On Thursday afternoon, Rey is skipping up the Grand Staircase to her first Defence Against the Dark Arts class of the year. She is considered a superb student all round, but Professor Kenobi’s class is where she has always truly excelled. Other than the Quidditch pitch.

She could not _wait_ to get into that classroom.

When she gets to room 3C, the other students are already filing in and Rey tags onto the back of the queue.

They find Kenobi waiting in the centre of the room. He stands directly underneath the huge dragon skeleton that is suspended from the arched ceiling beams, twirling his cypress wand between his fingers. All of the desks have been removed from the room, as well as what Rey would consider the fancier portraits.

Rey shuffles to stand at the end of the curved line forming opposite the Professor, spanning across the width of the room. She sends a little wave to Finn, Rose and Poe stood on the opposite side. She would wiggle her way over to them as soon as she had the chance.

Professor Kenobi takes a broad step toward the group.

“Hello there!”, he greets them warmly.

There are rounds of a cheery, eager “hello Professor” in response.

He casts a wide grin down the row of students, continuing to twirl his wand. His white teeth flash through his thick, red beard.

“I would like to start off the year with a little practical revision lesson”, he explains, “something to get us back into the swing of things. So, I thought we would start today with the Disarming Charm”.

A mixture of excited whispers and exasperated murmurs ripple through the room. Most of them had mastered this particular spell last year but there were still those who struggled with it.

Kenobi begins to pace and raises his voice a little to be heard over the hum of voices, “so, if you would please kindly get into pairs and take your places”.

Rey automatically begins to cross the room towards her friends when as if from nowhere, Ben Solo is stood in her path.

She peers up at him, her hazel-green eyes wide in bewilderment.

“Partner me?”, he simply says, and a crooked smile lights up his face before quickly returning to his signature frown.

Rey can see faintly that Rose is stood statue still across the room, frozen in shock and staring intently at the back of Ben’s head as if trying to read his thoughts.

“Er- okay, sure”, Rey agrees, and follows him without uttering another word to a space in the middle of the room. She avoids looking in her friends direction.

They stand several paces apart, facing one another. Ben pulls out a long hawthorn wand from the inner pocket of his robes and holds it out lazily in front of his body.

Rey draws her own phoenix core wand, clutching the smooth holly wood in her right hand loose enough to allow for the fluid, swift spell work that she favours.

Ben stares into her eyes for a second before raising both shoulders and hands skyward in a playful shrug that is both cocky and _inviting_.

Rey narrows her eyes at him before nimbly flicking her wrist and uttering, “ _Expelliarmus!_ ”.

The wand shoots upward out of Ben’s hand as if flying away and lands a few feet away. He recovers it and takes his place back in front of her.

“You’re good”, he softly smiles, mischief flashing across his eyes.

Rey snorts at his comment, “well th-“, she starts, just as her own wand is ripped from between her fingers. She hadn’t even had time to register that he was making a move.

After reclaiming it from near Professor Kenobi’s feet, Rey returns to face Ben and plants her feet firmly on the dark wooden floor. Her stance is more guarded now, less light-hearted, he _wouldn’t_ trick her again.

The pair take it in turns swiftly disarming each other with increasing force, and eventually the concept of ‘turns’ is thrown out of the window entirely. They tensely stare each other down now, poised in a game of chicken, waiting for the other to make even the tiniest move, to then race to be the one to disarm first.

At one point they simply glare at each other for twelve minutes with neither flinching once.

Each spell that is exchanged gets a fragment more aggressive than its predecessor.

Rey sends a particularly strong _Expelliarmus_ Ben’s way that sends his wand bouncing off the ceiling and waivers his balance for a moment.

He counters by immediately banishing her wand across the room, clattering Zorii Bliss on the side of the head as she effortlessly disarms Poe.

Neither Rey nor Ben have noticed their classmates and Professor are gradually abandoning their own practising to simply stand at the edges of the room, observing their showdown which is getting tenser by the second.

Rey collects her wand from the floor once again and apologies to Zorii. Before she can straighten up it flies again out of her grip and up toward the rafters.

The students that were still working stop instantly, and there is a gasp from somewhere behind Rey.

She spins on her heel to look at Ben, the corners of her vision blurring with fury now.

He fucking _winks_ at her.

She’s had enough.

Rey’s hand shoots out to her side and she non-verbally summons her wand back into her palm before it even hits the ground.

His dark eyes shine wide with surprise and she rebounds his stupid smirk right back at him, with some added venom.

_Didn’t know I could do that, did you, Solo?_ she thinks to herself proudly.

Rey angles her body to face him side on as the class forms an audience encircling them.

She delicately flourishes her wand sends another non-verbal _Expelliarmus_ careening toward him and-

He counters it with his own non-verbal shield charm.

She grasps her wand so tight that her knuckles flash white. She scrunches her nose in concentration and fury, her teeth bared, and fires _one, two, three_ disarming attempts at him.

Ben deflects them all _perfectly_.

Rey _growls_ under her breath and prepares to bombard him with another onslaught.

Before she can finish the incantation in her head, Ben takes a step forward and bellows, “STUPEFY!”.

His spell hits Rey square in the chest and she is rocketed backward, her feet yanked from underneath her.

She hits the floor. He hadn’t put enough force behind the jinx to cause her any harm or pain, but her pride was throbbing, and for Rey that was even worse.

She springs back to her feet and-

Professor Kenobi steps between them, “I think that’s enough for today, folks, but I _must_ say, good show Miss Niemand, Mister Solo, some _very_ admirable duelling skills there”, he beams at them, his head whipping back and forth between where they stand.

He turns to address the class now. “I do hope you were all taking notes! No homework this week because I’m not a monster. Class dismissed”.

Rey grabs her moke skin book bag from the corner of the room, flings it over her shoulder and storms from the classroom.

Ben Solo is a _dick._

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Harry Potter References

[The Daily Prophet](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Daily_Prophet)

[Potions Class](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Potions_\(class\))

[The Fat Lady Portrait ](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Fat_Lady)

[Muggle-Born](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Muggle-born)

[Advanced Potion-Making](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Advanced_Potion-Making) by [Libatius Borage](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Libatius_Borage)

[Potion for Dreamless Sleep](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Potion_for_Dreamless_Sleep)

[Sopophorous beans](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Sopophorous_bean)

[Firewhiskey](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Firewhisky)

[Golden Snidget](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Golden_Snidget)

[Honeywater](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Honeywater)

[Blast-Ended Skrewts](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Blast-Ended_Skrewt)

[Defence Against the Dark Arts Class](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Defence_Against_the_Dark_Arts)

[Expelliarmus – The Disarming Charm](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Disarming_Charm)

[Hawthorn ](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Hawthorn)

[Phoenix ](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Phoenix)

[Holly](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Holly)

[Non-Verbal Spells](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Nonverbal_spell)

[Stupefy - The Stunning Spell](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Stunning_Spell)

[Moke Skin](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Mokeskin)

Star Wars References

[Xi’an](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Xi%27an)

[“Hello there!”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEq1Z0bjdwc)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! Thank you so much for the feedback and love so far!
> 
> This is quite a back story heavy chapter, but I am hoping it gives you a little insight to our boy Ben and I loved the idea of the Harry/Hagrid afternoon tea parallels.

Rey is absolutely _seething_ for the next week and a half after what she considers to be nothing less than a cheap shot from Ben.

At dinner that evening, Rose makes an attempt to point out that Rey had also, as she calls it, ‘ _gone feral’._ She recalls the way that Rey catapulted a barrage of spells at him and then _growled at him_ like a wild animal.

Rey scowls at her in mock threat and gestures as if reaching for her wand. Rose throws her hands up and grins.

“Hey, I was very much enjoying watching your little flirting match, but I’m just saying you served _and_ received your fair share”, she laughs.

Nevertheless, Rey avoids contact with Ben at all costs, even going as far as to dramatically spin and march in the opposite direction if ever she sees him in a corridor, or wandering the grounds with Hux.

During Friday afternoon’s Potions class, she has to stifle the urge to lean up and bite his forearm when without saying a word, he reaches over the top of her head to grab a jar of boomslang skin from a high shelf. 

She is unsure if he is even _noticing_ her flamboyant efforts to ignore his very existence, which somehow makes Rey even more irate.

But then, her mood is improved drastically that same afternoon when Temiri Blagg shyly approaches her at dinner with a note from Chewie, the resident Care of Magical Creatures Professor.

_‘Rey – tea on Sunday – 4pm?’_

⋆ ⋆ ⋆

Rey decides to take a slow walk to Chewie’s hut after devouring a late lunch. The weather is unusually mild for late September and she wants to soak up every last second of the sun before it disappears behind the clouds for the winter months.

She is a little early as she shuffles down the gravelled pathway toward the cosy, circular hut that has a thick pillar of smoke chugging high out of its stone chimney.

As Rey rises up the narrow stone steps to the home’s entrance, she can hear Chewie’s low rumbling laughter from somewhere within the walls. He has a habit of conversing aloud to his dog, Wicket, as though the dozy beast can understand him. Rey had always found it extremely endearing; a testament to his unconditional love and care of everyone; human or creature.

Before she can even finish knocking on the rickety wooden door, it swings open and she is swept off of her feet, into a crushing bear hug.

Her head comes up barely to his stomach and even if her arms weren’t pinned at her sides, they would never reach around his humungous torso. Chewie is half giant on his mother’s side, and at eight and a half feet tall, he towers over Rey, and practically everyone that has the joy of knowing him, for that matter.

“If it isn’t my favourite Gryffindor!’, Chewie’s voice booms through the cabin.

Rey pulls away out of his grip, but he keeps a firm hold around her shoulders, “are you allowed to say that, _Professor?_ ”, she teases and smiles widely at him.

Chewie winks at her, then clasps her on the arm so hard Rey thinks he may well dislocate something.

As he starts to move away from her and across the hut, Rey’s view of the space is unobstructed for the first time and realisation slams into her.

It hadn’t been Wicket that she had heard Chewie speaking to.

Sat in one of the oversized wooden chairs by the fireplace, peeking up at Rey through a few loose strands of beautiful, ebony hair, is Ben.

Chewie gestures for her to take the other chair, across the table from Ben, as he shuffles around the kitchen clinking pans, plates and gigantic mugs together.

She slowly, carefully takes the seat, her eyes fixed on Ben the entire time as though he is a sleeping basilisk that could strike at any given moment.

His gaze follows her, too, and he offers her a timid smile as she sits poised on the edge of the chair. She doesn’t return it.

Chewie drops two tankards of piping tea down between them, as well as a basket lined with a blue tartan napkin, overflowing with several dozen rock cakes.

“I hope you don’t mind, Rey, I was just catching up with Ben here- a surprise visit- ah, of course- Ben this is Rey, Rey this is Ben”, his large hand flicks between them as he makes the introductions, crossing to sit in his leather armchair on the other side of the fire.

Ben nods in his direction, “we’ve met, we had- have- erm- a few classes together”, he mumbles, picking up his tea and holding it close to his chest.

Rey reaches to the basket so that she doesn’t have to look at either of their reactions and grabs one of the fist sized cakes. To her delight they are still warm. She begins to gnaw on it- slowly- she has made the mistake before of tackling Chewie’s snacks too enthusiastically and had nearly lost half of her teeth.

After a few seconds of silence that feels like hours, Ben also grabs a cake and begins to nibble cautiously. Rey observes that he must have caught on to her approach to Chewie’s baking.

“Brilliant!”, Chewie grins, looking between them, “well, Hogwarts is incredibly lucky to have the two smartest students that I’ve ever known under its roof- I always did tell your uncle that you’d be better off doing your studies here, under our tutelage, but with your mother’s work- well- but- you’re here now, where you belong!”.

Ben takes a long, slow gulp of his tea and stares straight ahead, his expression blank.

Rey’s eyes drift to his face. This awkward, sheepish boy beside her is a far cry from the self-assured, cocky one that she met just last week.

It’s like his mask has been lifted.

Rey quickens her chewing and swallows her mouthful. She paints on a toothy smile and whips her head back and forth between the two men before she addresses Ben in an attempt to coax him out of whatever shell he is clearly retreating into.

“So- Ben, you know each other?”, she asks cheerily, “like, before you came-?”.

“We sure do!”, Chewie interjects and raises his mug in the air by way of a toast, “we’re practically family- his father is my oldest and dearest friend- oh, boy, the _trouble_ we used to get ourselves in to- “. He breaks off and begins to chuckle almost uncontrollably.

Ben smiles widely, but Rey notices it doesn’t reach his eyes. She knows that kind of smile. Forced. Superficial. For someone else’s benefit.

She has the sudden urge to reach over the table and touch his arm. To reassure him against whatever is eating away at him.

Chewie wipes the tears of reminiscent joy away from the corners of his eyes and downs half of his tankard in one swig. Rey doesn’t doubt for a second that there is more than just tea in there.

He lets out one more small, snorting laugh, “and your mother would always be there to dig us out of the holes we threw ourselves into- _sure_ , she would rip us a new one afterwards, call us every name under the sun- but she always got us out of a fix”.

Across from her, Ben has gone rigid in his seat, still with the same disingenuous smile plastered all over his face. His fingers are clenched so tight around his drink that his knuckles are bright white, as though the skin could tear at any second.

Chewie seems to hesitate a moment, as though weighing up his next words.

“How is Leia? I’ve not heard from her for a while- but I know she’s busy and all- “, he starts.

“Yes, fine- she’s fine”, Ben stands abruptly, thudding his mug down onto the table and moving toward the door in one fluid motion. “I should go, I have an Ancient Runes essay to finish for tomorrow. Thank you, Unc- thanks, Chewie, for having me”.

“Sure, see ya, kid”, Chewie says quietly, waving half-heartedly.

A gust of chilly wind sweeps through the hut as he opens the front door hurriedly. Then it clicks shut, and Ben is gone.

⋆ ⋆ ⋆

Chewie and Rey just stare after him, in total silence.

Eventually the silence is broken by the leather of Chewie’s armchair creaking in protest as he shifts uncomfortably. He rubs his forehead and groans.

“I shouldn’t have said that”, he mutters to himself.

Rey stares into the depths of Ben’s half-drunk tea and takes a measured sip of her own, unsure of how to process the abrupt departure.

“Does he- erm- does he not get on with his mum?”, Rey asks, trying to add an air on nonchalance to her tone.

“No, no, it’s not that… in fact it’s the opposite, really. He adores Leia and she him”, Chewie smiles faintly to himself as though happy memories are finding their way back to him, “but their relationship has been… I guess you could say _strained_ these last few years. Leia is President of MACUSA, so to say she is a busy woman would be downplaying it”.

“Markeezer?”, Rey queries, confounded.

“ _MACUSA”_ , Chewie corrects softly, “stands for _Magical Congress of the United States of America_ ”. He looks _extremely_ pleased with himself for remembering the acronym so flawlessly.

Rey tilts her head thoughtfully, “so… it’s like the American version of our Ministry?”.

“Exactly!”, he nods.

Rey’s eyebrows arch up toward her hairline, “stars… the _President…_ so why is he here- at Hogwarts, I mean- if his family are all rooted in the States?”.

“Leia is here working with the Ministry on something- I don’t know what so don’t ask- “, he throws in as though reading the questions forming in the back of Rey’s throat. “Anyway, seems she’s going to be here a while, so it was decided that Ben transfer and see out his final year here. And I quite agree, best place for him right now is Hogwarts- with family”.

“What about his father?”, Rey muses.

Chewie beams at the mere mention of his best friend, then his face falls and is suddenly sombre. “Well, to tell you the truth, Han hasn’t been around much either. He travels constantly for work, so he’s been in and out quite a bit- “.

Something in Rey’s mind begins to click into place as Chewie speaks.

Han. Ben. Solo…

“ _HAN SOLO?!”_ Rey interjects, half shouting and lurching forward to lean across the table toward him, “his father is _Han Solo?_ The Quodpot player?”.

He throws his head back and bellows with laughter. The sound makes the hut _rattle._

While of course Rey’s heart lies with her beloved Quidditch, it’s North American equivalent absolutely _fascinates_ her. Admittedly this fascination stems largely from the fact that they use explosive balls.

As if Quidditch needs any additional elements of danger.

Chewie’s laughter tails off gradually and his face is contemplative once again.

“That’s pretty cool, though- for Ben. A President for a mum and a Quodpot legend for a dad”, Rey tries to interrupt whatever trail of thought is bothering him.

He sighs, “I’m not sure that it’s all as great as it sounds. Truthfully, I can’t remember many times when there wasn’t at least one of them absent, if not both. From birthdays, Christmases, parties… it’s taken its toll against Han and Leia’s relationship, and it’s definitely taken its toll on Ben. He spent the majority of his time as a young boy with me. Or alone”.

Rey leans back slowly into the old wooden chair, gazing into the fire and soaking this in.

It does sound awfully lonely. And she knows loneliness better than most.

But then again, he at least _knows_ his parents. Knows that deep down they love him. She had never been afforded that opportunity when she had been dumped on the doorstep of Unkar Plutt’s care home.

_Stop, that’s not fair,_ she scolds herself.

She shakes herself free of any begrudging thoughts at the same moment Chewie seems to do the same in the corner of her vision.

“ _But_ ”, his sudden cheery tone startles her, “he’s in the best place for him now. I always said to Luke- I said that boy should be here- with us- at Hogwarts. He always agreed, mind. Always wanted him here. Leia was less keen. Didn’t want to unsettle him I suppose. Then he had that… _misunderstanding_ at Ilvermony. That convinced her, I think, that he belongs here, with his Uncle Luke and his Uncle Chewie. I know that transfer students are rare, but it was the right thing to do and well, there’s _some_ perks when your Uncle is Headmaster, I guess”.

She just stares back. Her mouth agape. Her eyebrows furrowed in a confusion so deep that her face muscles begin to ache.

It takes Rey a full minute to absorb the absolute barrage of information that Chewie has just served up to her and she finds her brain jumping back to the start-of-term feast; to something that Kaydel had said, although she can’t quite recall her exact words.

Finally, she murmurs aloud, trying to get her own string of thoughts unravelled more than anything. “Headmaster Luke… _Uncle Luke?”_. She looks to Chewie for confirmation, who nods.

“ _Stars”,_ Rey breathes.

Is there anyone this guy _isn’t_ related to?

Chewie abruptly stands from his chair and begins bustling in the kitchenette, preparing another round of hot tea. An obvious end to the conversation.

“So, tell me”, he calls over his shoulder, “are Gryffindor gonna run away with the Quidditch Cup this year or what?”.

“Most definitely!”, Rey cheers and gets to work on another lump of rock cake.

An hour or so later, she bids farewell to Chewie with another oxygen stealing embrace.

“Hey, Rey, that stuff earlier…”, he is thoughtful, almost shy, “it’s a sensitive subject, y’know?”

She smiles and reaches up to pat his arm, “I won’t say anything to him”, she reassures.

“It isn’t that”, he replies, and runs a hand through his long, shaggy hair. “Our Ben can be… stubborn, defensive, downright rude… but he’s a good kid”.

She just smiles warmly at him and nods once.

Chewie watches as she ascends back up the uneven pathway toward the castle, waving the entire time. His outline in the doorway is solid black against the glowing light of his hut and just before she turns onto the viaduct, his door is shut and the distant light extinguished.

⋆ ⋆ ⋆

Rey collapses into bed that evening, exhaustion tugging on her eyelids. Kaydel and Jannah haven’t retired to the dormitory yet and honestly Rey is a little glad for the peace and quiet.

She lays on her back with one arm tucked behind her head, staring up at the canopy of her four-poster bed above her.

Chewie’s tales are replaying over and over again inside her head, spinning so fast that they begin to form something new altogether; the image of a young, lonely boy blowing out birthday candles with only his father’s best friend to sing for him.

Rey yearns to scoop that boy into her arms. To hold him tight, to kiss his cheeks and tell him that he won’t always feel like this. He won’t always feel so _stranded_.

Her mind drifts to the day of her eleventh birthday. The day that Headmaster Skywalker had shown up at Plutt’s care home and told her that there was a reason for every strange, unexplained thing that had happened to her over the course of her life. The day that she had found out she is a witch.

She had left with Luke without a second thought, agreeing only to return for the summer holidays each year until she was eighteen. That way she had somewhere safe to reside between school years, and Unkar could still claim financial assistance for having her.

A tear has begun to slide down the side of her face. She hadn’t even realised she was crying. For herself or for that sad boy, she is unsure. She lets it fall to the pillow and blinks back any more of the tiny droplets.

_Have I been too quick to judge him, maybe?,_ she wonders.

She rolls onto her side, tangling her arms around her pillow and nestling her cheek into the soft fabric.

Footsteps begin to click up the stone steps, accompanied by Kaydel and Jannah’s wary whispers.

Rey pulls her blanket up a little higher over her shoulder and closes her eyes, pretending to be asleep. Aside from being utterly drained of all energy, she is not feeling particularly talkative.

She listens vaguely to Kaydel and Jannah as they tiptoe around the dormitory so as not to wake her. The girls whisper sleepy goodnights to each other and there is a slight scuffle as they each burrow into their beds.

Before long, Kaydel’s familiar snores are rhythmically humming through the tower room and the sound lulls Rey into a deep, dreamless sleep of her own.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Harry Potter References

[Boomslang Skin](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Boomslang_skin)

[Care of Magical Creatures Class](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Care_of_Magical_Creatures)

[Hagrid’s Hut](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Hagrid%27s_Hut)

[Basilisk](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Basilisk)

[MACUSA](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Magical_Congress_of_the_United_States_of_America)

[Ministry of Magic](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Ministry_of_Magic)

[Quodpot](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Quodpot)

Star Wars References

[Wicket](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Wicket_W._Warrick)

[Unkar Plutt](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Unkar_Plutt)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Friday guys! Thank you as always for your feedback and time reading this, I'm enjoying writing it so so much :)

Over the fortnight that follows her visit to Chewie’s, Rey doesn’t make any effort to avoid Ben.

But she is starting to think that he might be avoiding _her_.

Outside of their shared classes, where he keeps his head down and barely looks up from his textbooks, she doesn’t see him at all.

There is a brief moment during a very early Saturday morning where Rey clocks that he is eating breakfast in The Great Hall alone, and she heavily contemplates just marching up to him and saying something.

But what? _Hi? Are you alright? Nasty turn in weather we’re having isn’t it?_

Instead she opts for the easier option of wolfing down her eggs on toast and getting out of there. Quickly.

Finn and Poe were up until the early hours supposedly writing a Charms essay in the library and so wouldn’t emerge from their beds until at least lunch time. Their shared brain cell obviously hadn’t put together that Rey also takes that class and therefore knows that no such essay exists.

Rose is also absent from breakfast. She leads the Gobstones club on Saturday mornings, so Rey has a few hours to herself.

She jogs up to her dormitory and shoves some books and a glass jar into her bag, as well as a handful of owl treats into her jeans pocket.

She aimlessly wanders toward The Black Lake and is grateful that she chose to wear a jumper today. The temperature had taken a considerable nosedive over the last few days and the thick wool of Mrs Tico’s knitting was a perfect shield against the chilly wind.

Rey passes The Whomping Willow. Half of its green leaves have already turned various shades of gold, orange and yellow and a few crunch under her feet as she warily navigates around the homicidal trees ‘smash zone’ and down the stony pathway beyond to the water’s edge.

On one of the lakes many banks there is an ancient, towering beech tree that is Rey’s favourite place to read and unwind. It is always so still here, bar the handful of times that she has stumbled across students that had snuck off for a cheeky snog.

Rey plops down in front of the tree, wedging her bum tightly between two twisting roots that had once dwarfed her small frame when she had first discovered this spot six years earlier.

Taking the jar from her bag, she gently taps the rim of the clear glass with the tip of her wand. Bright blue fire pours into the container and shimmers within it. The flames dance and spin around each other; radiating a pleasant warmth into her palm. She gently places the jar of Bluebell Flames onto one of roots beside her and delves back into her bag to retrieve her battered copy of _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them._

The warmth of the small fire creates a haze of comfort around her, broken every so often when a particularly cool wind creeps its way into Rey’s bubble.

Besides playing Quidditch, this is when Rey is at her happiest. Calm, relaxed, free to explore and wander and read as much as she pleases. In the bustling chaos that could be Hogwarts, she relishes these tranquil moments.

Eventually, bundled in the depths of her thick burgundy jumper and snug between the comfort of the beech tree’s roots, her heads begins to droop and sleep wraps its welcoming arms around her.

When she has to re-read the same paragraph on what to feed newly hatched Norwegian Ridgebacks for the fifth time, she decides it’s time to stretch her limbs.

With great effort she rises to her feet, extending her arms high above her head and yawning wide. She throws her wand and Newt Scamander’s book back into the depths of her bag, scoops the jar of crackling flames into her hands and shuffles in the direction of The Owlery.

⋆ ⋆ ⋆

Rey climbs the last few exterior steps of the spiralling structure and enters through the tall stone archway into the main circular turret that serves as the home to both the students’ pets and the school’s postal owls.

She looks upward and notes that there are a lot of empty small square alcoves stretching up the tall stone walls today. A lot of their occupants must be out delivering letters, probably full of exciting stories of the first few weeks back at school; on their way to brooding families missing their loved ones.

A familiar pure white snowy owl flutters down to land on the rim of the bird bath at the centre of the room as Rey carefully places her jar of flames down in a vacant cubbyhole. There is no glass in the window spaces of the tower which meant that the inhabitants could come and go as freely as they wished, but it also meant it could get incredibly _brisk_ in here, and she is glad she had the foresight to bring the small but powerful flames.

“Hi”, she smiles at the curious owl and fumbles in her pocket for a treat. She doesn’t know this particular birds name, nor which student she belongs to, but she was always the first to greet Rey with a friendly peck.

She gently plucks the goody from Rey’s outstretched hand and ducks her head to allow her to stroke the soft, downy feathers that line her back. A small hoot of thanks hums from her belly before she hops back to nestle close to the warm fire.

A tiny scops owl soon takes the snowy’s place and receives the same treatment as his predecessor.

Before long there is a small gathering of owls perched at Rey’s level as she hands out greetings, treats and affection to every single one of them.

She is so engrossed that she doesn’t hear the dull thud of boots approaching up the stairs behind her.

The sharp warning hoot of the snowy owl grabs Rey’s attention and she spins on her heel to follow her wide, vibrant yellow eyes to where they are staring at the doorway.

“Hello, Rey”, Ben croaks, his voice sounds still half asleep. He flashes her a crooked smile and runs his fingers through his dark mane of hair, which is dotted with the first few droplets of rain. He wears a navy knitted jumper much like Rey’s, although it is too baggy even for his tall frame.

Rey’s heart flutters at the sheer surprise of seeing him standing there and her words catch in her throat. She manages to heave out a strangled sound that she can only hope resembles a _‘hi’._

As soon as his deep voice swells into the air, a beautiful, dark tawny owl that Rey has never seen before gracefully glides down from one of the top most perches, landing softly on a wooden beam beside her and sticking one leg out, awaiting her charge.

Ben closes the gap between himself and Rey in two giant steps and stops dead still in front of her. Her eyes wander up to his face and she finds that she is looking directly into his deep, gold flecked eyes.

She inhales sharply when she realises that he is staring right back at her, as though looking into her very soul.

Rey could swear that time has ceased altogether. Her instinct is to take a step back away from him. He’s too close. As quickly as he has stridden over to her, he abruptly twists his body and begins to secure an envelope, flourished with a thin strip of leather-like cord, to the owl’s leg, still jutting out close to Rey’s side.

Once the unnecessarily fancy envelope is tied tight, he uses his index finger to tenderly scratch under the bird’s chin. She reacts by squeezing her eyes shut contently and leaning into the touch.

“Thank you, Grimtaash”, Ben murmurs and smiles fondly.

He stops fussing her, but she does not immediately take off out of one of the hollow windows.

Instead, Grimtaash turns to Rey and widens her lamplike eyes expectantly.

Ben looks bewildered at her hesitation, almost embarrassed, but Rey giggles in understanding. She opens her palm and reveals the very last owl treat that rests there.

The owl leans her weight forward and Rey gets a clear glimpse at the elegant, swirling writing on the envelope that is tied to her leg.

_Mom & Dad._

She swallows the snack in one greedy gulp and affectionately nips the tip of Rey’s thumb before spreading her wide, gorgeous wings and diving from the tower.

Ben takes a step forward to watch her depart and he and Rey stand side by side; watching her soar over the grounds. She dives and twists, clearly aware that she has an audience.

_Fancy bird for a fancy guy,_ Rey thinks as Grimtaash disappears from sight behind the thick grey rainclouds lingering above them.

“Were you… feeding the owls?”, Ben asks, looking down at her through the corner of his eye with a slight smile threatening to pull at the corner of his soft lips.

“Yes”, she replies cheerily, beaming up at him.

He turns to face her and cocks one eyebrow, “I’m sure there’s someone that does that. Probably Chewie, come to think of it”.

“I know”, Rey chimes, “but I like coming up here from time to time. It’s peaceful”.

She lifts her chin a little higher to look admiringly above his head at all of the sleepy owls nestling into their alcoves. Some are slumbering alone, preferring their space, while others are grouped in cosy piles of two or three.

Ben’s eyes linger on her face for a moment; all wide eyed and happy. Then he follows her gaze up the centre of the room, directly above their heads.

“Which is yours?”, he asks casually.

“I don’t actually have an owl”, she begins to chuckle lightly and returns her focus to him, her eyes scrunched, and her mouth stretched in a toothy grin.

He too switches his attention to her with a bemused expression, one thick eyebrow raised again.

She laughs heartily as the look on his face, “I told you, I like coming up here for some peace!”

“Well then show me your favourite- for sending letters home?”, he says.

Rey drops her eyes to the floor and her cheeks begin to sear a deep scarlet.

“I don’t really have anyone- “, she falters, “I don’t really write home much”.

She forces herself to look up at him through her eyelashes and offers him a shy smile. Her mind races for anything to say in order to change the subject, and to distract Ben from picking at this particular scab.

Before she can think about what she is really saying, the words begin to tumble from her mouth.

“It’s good that _you’re_ writing to your parents, though”, she blurts out.

Ben flinches and the softness in his lips and eyes vanishes as though someone has slapped him. The sudden change in his demeanour sends a chill straight through Rey’s chest.

“ _What?_ ”, his whisper is barely audible.

“I mean- your mum- it’s good- and- your dad travelling-”, she stutters, before rushing out, “I’m sure they miss you”.

She smiles meekly at him, but he does not return it.

His face is dark, thunderous.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about”, he grunts.

Rey drops her smile now too and narrows her eyes at him.

“Ben, of _course_ -”, she starts, but she cuts short when he takes a slight step toward her.

He is so close to her now.

Too bloody close.

She can _smell_ him. A fusion of fresh parchment, leather and smoky oak fills her nose and makes her head buzz. Although there is a tinge of sweetness there too, she can taste black cherries as his scent creeps down her throat and into her lungs. It’s intoxicating.

Ben inhales deeply through his long nose and then holds his breath for four, five seconds.

“Whatever Chewie told you the other night- “.

“He didn’t tell me any- “.

“-is neither his _nor your_ business and I would appreciate it if you _shut up_ about it”.

A boiling heat spreads through Rey’s face and down her arms.

She glares at him so hard, with such fury, that she thinks her head may explode, if his doesn’t first.

Hopefully his.

Rey straightens up, pushing her shoulders back and locking them firmly and strongly into place.

She blinks at him once. Slowly.

“Sure, Ben”, she says, not letting even a sliver of emotion edge into her tone.

Then she shoves past him and out of the owlery door.

She barrels down the winding tower’s stairs, using her jumper sleeve to roughly wipe away the hot tears of frustration that have begun streaming down her cheeks.

⋆ ⋆ ⋆

Come the early afternoon her friends are still preoccupied, so Rey eats lunch alone.

She sits hunched over in the furthest most corner of the Great Hall, glowering into her tomato soup, determined not to be seen or bothered by anyone for risk of taking their head off right there on the spot.

She absentmindedly stirs her soup, creating a tiny whirlpool in its centre.

It makes her think of all the gruesome concoctions that she could slip Ben.

Bulbadox juice maybe. Stinksap. Or perhaps just a trusty old-fashioned muggle laxative.

Rey snickers quietly at the mental image, then groans under her breath as she sees in her periphery an abnormally tall shape enter into the hall.

It hesitates in the doorway, seemingly making a decision, before it slowly gets larger and clearer as it approaches down the aisle toward her.

“ _Don’t you dare”,_ she utters to herself, although she wishes the unwelcome figure could hear her also.

Ben hovers in front of her on the opposite side of the table. She can see even without looking at him that his stance is timid and boyish. The way he had looked when he sat in front of Chewie’s fireplace.

She doesn’t look up from her soup.

For a full ten seconds he stands there with his fists clenched at his side.

Maybe if she pretends that she hasn’t noticed him he will just vanish, _right_?

“Rey?”, he says gently, “may I sit with you?”

_Wrong._

“ _No,_ you bloody well may _not_ ”, she spits, still not looking up.

Ben sighs and cautiously sinks onto the bench opposite her. He looks poised, ready to spring out of her reach at any given moment.

“I want to apologise for the way that I behaved earlier”, his voice is low and bashful.

Rey abruptly drops her spoon into her bowl, letting the handle clang loudly against the porcelain edge. She slides it aside and folds her arms across the top of the table.

She stares directly into his eyes and reciprocates his sigh, but with an extra dash of melodramatic exasperation.

“Whatever for?”, she says sweetly, perking her eyebrows as if she is totally oblivious to the events that he has mentioned.

His expression doesn’t change, even when receiving the sharp end of her venomous sarcasm.

“I shouldn’t have spoken to you like that”, he doesn’t break eye contact.

“No, you shouldn’t have”, she replies, calm and measured.

Ben lowers his eyes to his hands which are tangled together on top of the table. He begins to tap his thumbs together erratically, unrhythmically.

“You were trying to be reassuring, and I see that, and I reacted poorly, and I apologise”, he doesn’t shift his eyes from his hands and speaks slowly as if picking each word very carefully, “my family is… a very raw and sensitive subject. I don’t like talking about it. There’s a lot of- “.

“Yeah, _join the club_ ”, Rey hisses, “you’re not the only person in existence that has _family issues_ ”.

The sudden harshness in her tone startles him and he leans back in his seat as though trying to put distance between them.

He looks wounded, as though she has physically reached out and slapped him.

Slowly, he leans back across the table toward her, his eyes doe-y and pleading.

“Rey”, he whispers, and then his voice sounds almost begging, helpless, “I am _trying_ here. _Please._ It’s hard- “.

“Don’t talk to me about _hard_ ”, her voice is dripping with anger now and she can feel the tears of fury gathering behind her eyes. Her throat feels bone dry and a slight ringing starts to screech in her ears. “Lots of people have it _hard_ , Ben, and they don’t go around treating people like _arseholes- “._

Ben begins to interject, and Rey holds one trembling finger up to silence him.

She continues, “you have parents that _love_ you, that give a single shit about you and you should be _grateful_ for them”.

Her vision is obscured by tears now, his form in front of her is beginning to blur around the edges, although she doesn’t let them fall.

She prays silently that Ben doesn’t notice them wavering there, threatening to spill over. She doesn’t want him to know how much he has rattled her, and why.

Ben slumps his shoulders and lets out a deep breath of air.

“You’re right, and I’m sorry”, his eyebrows crease together in worry, “I would like to make it up to you somehow, if you will allow me”.

Rey hastily stands from the bench, grabbing her bag from where it had sat next to her. She flings the strap over one shoulder and brushes her long chestnut hair over the other.

“I don’t need your grovelling, thanks”, she says blankly.

And for the second time that day, Ben watches Rey walk away from him.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Harry Potter References

[Charms Class](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Charms_\(class\))

[Gobstones](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Gobstones)

[Owl Treats](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Owl_Treat)

[The Black Lake](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Great_Lake)

Rey's jumper from Mrs Tico is inspired by [Molly Weasley's Christmas jumpers](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Weasley_jumper)

[Whomping Willow](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Whomping_Willow)

[The Beech Tree](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Beech_tree_on_the_edge_of_the_Black_Lake)

The flames that Rey conjures are [Bluebell Flames](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Bluebell_Flames)

[Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Fantastic_Beasts_and_Where_to_Find_Them) by [Newt Scamander](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Newton_Scamander)

[Norwegian Ridgeback](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Norwegian_Ridgeback)

[The Owlery](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Owlery)

I like to think that Rey's snowy owl friend could be a AU [Hedwig](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Hedwig) :)

And maybe the Scops owl is a little nod to [Pigwidgeon](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Pigwidgeon)

[Bulbadox Juice](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Bulbadox_juice)

[Stinksap](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Stinksap)

Star Wars References

Ben’s overly fancy is inspired by the fact he's a [calligraphy nerd](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Ben_Solo's_calligraphy_set)

His owl is named [Grimtaash](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Grimtaash_\(starship\)), as that's what his starship was called

Other Notes

My American pals tell me that the word 'fortnight' isn't really a thing outside of England... so just in case, it's another way of saying 'two weeks'.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Friday guys! Thank you as always for your lovely comments on the last chapter. I can't believe over 1000 people have read this, I've been so overwhelmed with how nice everyone has been so thank you thank you!

The week that follows is an uphill struggle, to say the least.

Professor Jarrus hands them the task of writing three feet of parchment on the risks and benefits of human transfiguration, as well as informing them that there will be a mock practical exam next lesson.

Professor Tano challenges them with non-verbally perfecting the Bubble-Head Charm… by having them jump headfirst into the ice-cold lake.

Snoke is… well, Snoke.

By the time their next Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson rolls around on the morning of Halloween, Rey can barely gather up the energy to be excited for her favourite class.

She waits outside Classroom 3C for Professor Kenobi to call them inside, slouching against the wall and enjoying even the tiniest opportunity to rest. She hangs back as the rest of the class begin to file in, reluctant to move her weight out of her leaning position and back onto her feet.

Just as Rey pushes herself off the wall and into an uneasy full standing position, Ben rounds the corner from The Grand Staircase, his steps heavy and dragging.

_Stars, he looks awful_ , Rey thinks.

Ben shuffles toward her and runs a large hand through his uncharacteristically messy hair. His dark and glassy eyes now have deep shades of purple set into their hollows.

He looks like his soul has left his body.

“You look like shit”, she speaks aloud before she can stop herself.

His eyes wrinkle into a warm smile and he huffs a small airy laugh through his nose.

“It’s nice to see you too”, he retorts.

“I never said that”, Rey smiles teasingly as she leads the way inside.

They groggily thud into Classroom 3C to find it empty once again, with Professor Kenobi stood waiting for them at its centre.

“Oh dear, oh dear, you all look _very_ tired, are my fellow teachers working you too hard?”, his voice peaks at the end of his sentence, the inflection in his questioning tone unusually high.

There is a chorus of groans and murmurs from the class.

“Well then, hopefully todays study session will evoke a little _joy_ ”, Kenobi chuckles to himself at the joke that he is yet to let the rest of the room into and holds his hands on his hips when he is met by vacant stares, “any guesses?”

Silence from the class.

“We will be going over The Patronus Charm!”, Kenobi beams at them.

A mix of elation and exasperation echoes through the room. Rey quietly smirks to herself. She has this particular charm down to a tee.

The students disband and Rey shuffles over to stand close to Finn, Rose and Poe, who are already whipping their wands around and drawing silvery trails in the air.

Poe is chattering quietly but animatedly, and she picks up the tail end of his sentence as she approaches.

“-it’ll be good to blow off some steam, y’know? Let loose”, he spots Rey shuffling toward them, “Rey- Halloween drinks tonight- you’re still up for it, aren’t you?”.

She nods in response. Halloween wasn’t her favourite holiday by any means, but she knows that Kaydel puts a lot of effort and love into her annual party and her life would not be worth living for at least the next three months if she didn’t show her face.

They chat excitedly about their plans and outfits for later that night. Rey spends the majority of the lesson coaching and encouraging her friends, none of whom have quite mastered the art of forming a fully corporeal Patronus.

In fact, as the session draws to a close, not a single one of her class have managed to manifest a full Patronus.

Not even Ben, much to the enjoyment of Rey’s competitive streak. He stands a small distance from her group, a thick and solid wall of light standing before him, but not once does it ever begin to take even a vague animalistic form.

Finn’s efforts at one point begins to swirl into a loose four-legged outline, but he gets so excited that his concentration is broken, and it evaporates into a shimmering cloud.

His shoulders drop in disappointment and a string of colourful curse words pour from his mouth in a growl.

“You have to hold your focus”, Rey says gently, “keep your thoughts strong, even as the spell is in action”.

She steps forward with her wand held out in front of her, her grip on it loose, and rolls her wrist in small circles to loosen the muscles. Rey lets the warmth of her happiest memories seep through her; her first sight of Hogwarts Castle from the tiny wooden boat that carried her across the lake, the first time she rode a broom, sitting around the common room fire with her friends and laughing at one of Poe’s dumb jokes.

Flourishing her wand, she utters the incantation, _“Expecto Patronum!”_.

A bright dazzling glow _explodes_ from the tip of her wand. It intensifies before her and quickly takes the form of Rey’s Patronus; an elegant, beautiful doe.

The guardian bounds around the room, leaving glittering trails lingering in the air. It weaves through the students, who all cease their own practising to marvel at Rey’s handiwork. There are _‘ooh’s_ and _‘aah’s_ as her doe passes them, some even reach out to run their hands across the delicate fur on its back.

The only person not staring after the Patronus is Ben.

He is staring directly at Rey, frozen in place, his eyes bulging as if he is _petrified_ that the figure currently dancing around him in circles may cause him harm.

Professor Kenobi clasps his hands together and cheers loudly, “very nice, Miss Niemand, very nice _indeed_!”

Rey flicks her wand again, dispersing the doe into a fine opalescent mist.

“Class, you should _all_ be able to form a corporeal Patronus by the end of this term”, continues Kenobi, “keep working it at, well done today, class dismissed!”

⋆ ⋆ ⋆

After a thoroughly enjoyable D.A.D.A session, there is a slight bounce in Rey’s step as she makes her way down the third-floor corridor.

Her friends have left her and are currently ascending through the castle to their Divination Class at the peak of The North Tower, while Rey is heading in the opposite direction, toward the grounds.

She had always held a certain disdain for Divination and had therefore jumped at the opportunity to drop it last year when Professor Antilles’ had offered her a position as his teaching assistant in Flying Class.

Rey begins to hum as she rounds the corner into the long, bare hallway that runs adjacent to Professor Kenobi’s classroom. She takes a few short steps forward and is suddenly blinded by a searing, white light.

Her eyes slam shut automatically against the hot flash and her head swims, the assault on one of her senses disorientating all of the others. She whips her arm up to shield her face with the thick fabric of her sleeve. Painful spots dance inside her eyelids, which are lit up a gruesome shade of red against the harsh light, visible even through her school robes.

She can taste smoke then, dense and choking, and risks a peek from behind her sleeve. It’s just about bearable to keep her eyes open, but the fog is quickly filling the air, making her cough and splutter and sending her a little dizzy. Rey frantically waves her hands in front of her face in an attempt to clear some of the air.

A very low hissing sound vibrates from the far end of the corridor. Slowly, it grows louder and louder.

She strains her eyes in an attempt to get a glimpse at what is causing the noise, but the smog is far too thick.

A faint red ball glows at the centre of the cloud now, the intensity of the colour and its size increasing with every heartbeat thumping against the inside of Rey’s chest.

In one swift movement, she pulls her wand from the inner pocket of her robes, as it dawns on her that the assailant isn’t getting _louder,_ it’s getting _closer_.

Rey braces, readying herself for whatever it is that’s coming her way. Her heart pounds in her ears, drowning out all other sounds but her focus remains resolute and unwavering.

Through the fog emerges a tidal wave of scorching fire.

It barrels toward Rey before an unseen gust swirls it up, spiralling into a tornado. The flames compact to become a tight ball of sun, before exploding outward to the edges of the corridor again in the form of a tremendous, horrifying _dragon_.

The fiery dragon lurches forward, snapping its murderous jaws at Rey.

_Fiendfyre_.

She raises her wand above her head, ready to strike quick and hard with a dozen spells rushing onto the tip of her tongue and-

A large, solid figure slides in between her and the ghostly dragon, wrapping one muscular arm behind themselves and around Rey’s torso, pulling her close against their back to protect her from the scorching flames.

She knows without even looking who it will be.

Rey places her hands against Ben’s back and leans around his opposite arm so as to see the scene before them.

His arm is raised high above his head, his wand gripped tightly in one hand. Crystal clear waves of water cascade from the tip and directly into the dragon’s face. It snarls and angrily gnashes its teeth at Ben, each one razor sharp and equal in size to his entire body.

He leans further forward, into the spell, pouring everything he has into it.

Rey shimmies free from behind his body and mimics his stance, planting her feet firmly into the floor and centring her weight.

“ _AGUAMENTI!”_ , she bellows with every inch of power she can muster.

Her own jet stream spills from her wand, merging with Ben’s to form one single assaulting pillar of water as it slams into the fiendfyre dragon.

It shrieks one final roar of pure fury, before shrinking, shrinking, shrinking into embers and ash piled up on the stone floor.

Ben shoots forward and scatters the dwindling remnants with his foot before spinning abruptly to grab Rey by her shoulders and pull her close to him, his nose inches from hers.

His wide eyes flitter over every inch of her, scanning for injures.

“Are you alright?”, he rushes out, worry streaking his voice.

Rey stands perfectly still for a moment, mentally working through each limb and body part to assess for any damage.

“No- yes- I’m fine”, she whispers dazedly.

“ _Fucking children”,_ he seethes.

Rey looks him in the eye. He is shaking with anger now.

“Children?”, she repeats absentmindedly.

“I heard some third-years talking on the stairway about how they had laid a _Halloween prank_ in this corridor. A fiendfyre spell triggered when someone walked by it. Fucking _idiots-_ they should know better to think they could control a spell like that at their age- the _arrogance-_ and I saw you leave toward this way from class- as fast as I could”, he blurts out in one breath, gasping by the time he finishes.

The adrenaline is beginning to leave Rey’s system and pride begins to take precedent, tinted with a little embarrassment if she is honest with herself. She can’t shake the feeling of being more than a little insulted that Ben felt the need to come _sprinting_ to her rescue. Like she is some meek, incapable damsel in distress.

He is still clinging desperately to her.

Rey flickers her gaze down to one of his hands. It dwarfs her tiny shoulder and his harsh hold is beginning to ache a little. He notices her discomfort and hastily removes his grip, taking a wide step back away from her.

“I really _didn’t_ need you to come running to be my white knight”, she says a little harsher than she had intended as she massages her shoulder, “I could’ve handled it”.

The tips of Ben’s ears are peeking through his dishevelled hair and Rey can see they are tinged an alarming shade of scarlet. Then his eyes become hard and scathing, sending the tiniest of chills down Rey’s spine.

“You could just say _thank you_ , Rey”, he growls.

“ _Thank you”_ , she chimes back sarcastically.

A muscle under his eye twitches.

“Has anyone ever told you that you’re a bit of a fucking _brat_?”, he mutters as he brushes past her shoulder, leaving her alone, staring into the pile of ash dusted over the floor.

⋆ ⋆ ⋆

_“Fiendfyre –_ for Yoda’s sake!”, Rose moans as they cross through the courtyard later that night, straightening the large blue pixie ears that are fixed to her hairband as part of her Halloween costume.

“Just _wait_ until I find out who those little flobberworms are, I’m gonna jinx their stupid arses all the way back to London!”, Poe adds.

Rey waves a hand dismissively, “ahh it was just a stupid prank that went wrong. No harm, no foul”, she says.

“You wouldn’t be saying that if you had been burnt to a _crisp!”_ , Rose squeaks.

“I don’t think she’d be saying much of _anything_ , Rose”, Finn says with a deadpan tone, although it is impossible to gauge his facial expression through the impressive mid-transformation werewolf snout that Rose has transfigured onto his face with extreme caution. They all turn to stare at him as he twists his new snout as if trying to stifle a sneeze.

In unison, Rey and Poe burst into fits of laughter and have to cling onto Finn for support, who is soon swept up and joins their uncontrollable giggling.

It takes around four seconds for Rose to cave too and add her voice to the raucous cackles.

They excitedly scoot across the viaduct and down the winding pathway that leads behind Chewie’s hut and into the Forbidden Forest.

Glowing orange lanterns have been charmed to float around the mouth of the forest and form a glistening trail that weaves deep into the towering trees.

Poe leads the way, using the heavy trident of his Devil costume to push any intrusive greenery aside. They carefully navigate Kaydel’s twinkling pathway until they emerge into a wide clearing. From over her shoulder Rey hears a bewildered _‘oooh’_ from Rose.

A roaring bonfire crackles at the centre of the space, red hot sparks and ghostly smoke snaking up into the trees above. A handful of Hufflepuffs are huddled around it, using the flames to light a long pipe that Rey suspects contains a little more than just tobacco.

Enchanted ‘Happy Halloween!’ banners hang between trees to mark the perimeter of the clearing. They glitter in the firelight and every so often a tiny shrieking cartoon ghost or witch zooms across them and between the letters, much like the Hogwarts portraits.

Floating fifteen or so feet above the ground are dozens of intricately carved pumpkins, slowly bobbing and spinning mid-air. Rey takes a moment to admire the incredible level of detail that has been etched into their surfaces; there are scary faces, silly faces, fearsome creatures, the house logos…

“Kay’s really out done herself this year…”, Poe breathes.

As if she has heard him, Kaydel comes bounding towards them. She is wearing a skin-tight bodysuit, painted with a full anatomical skeleton. Every individual bone glows against the soft light and it gives the illusion that you are seeing an x-ray straight through her entire body. Every inch of her beaming face is painted as intricately as one of the pumpkins hovering above her. She throws her arms open wide and pulls her four friends into a huge group hug.

“You guys look so _good!_ ”, she squeals, “Finn your face is _horrible!_ ”.

“Er- thanks?”, Finn cocks his head at her in confusion, but she doesn’t hear him, already having darted off to greet the next string of arrivals.

The four of them embark on a sweeping lap of the clearing, saying hello to the huddles of other students as they slowly make their way to their intended destination; the booze corner.

A huge ice sculpture stands in the far corner, carved into the shape of a sprawling Acromantula. It’s long, spindly legs and bloated belly are hollowed out and inside rests every type of alcoholic beverage that one could ever desire.

Finn shudders when he sees it and makes Rose retrieve his drink for him, refusing to go within six feet of it.

They each take a bottle of Butterbeer and meander back to drop onto one of the old logs that circles the bonfire.

The clearing gradually fills with tipsy, elated students. They laugh, they sing, they dance the stresses of the last few weeks out of their systems.

Rey truly relaxes for the first time in what feels like months. She soaks in the atmosphere, the warmth of the fire mingling with the heady buzz of the alcohol to create a calm, content feeling that settles deep in her stomach.

She drains the rest of her third bottle and wiggles the empty glass at the group; a silent question. They all nod enthusiastically.

A sudden rush makes her head spin as she rises to her feet and she holds her hands out to steady herself.

Rey realises with slight amusement that she is really quite _drunk_.

She edges her way through the crowd, squeezing between dancing hips and kissing lips with a polite “excuse me”.

Her stomach turns when she sees that Ben is stood directly in front of the eight-legged ice sculpture, staring at it as though it has personally offended him.

She considers walking in the opposite direction, not wanting to become entangled in a verbal showdown at Kaydel’s party. She and Ben seemed incapable of being near each other without _one_ of them putting their foot in it.

But she has to admit, there is something about his broad shoulders, outlined by the warm lantern light, that Rey finds undeniably tempting. Alluring, almost.

Maybe it’s the dull buzz of the alcohol in her system, but she just can’t resist engaging with him.

Rey quietly approaches and stands side by side with him, so close that even the smallest gust of wind would probably blow her drunk arse right into him.

_Probably not a bad idea to have something to break my fall if I do go over,_ she thinks.

They stand in total silence for a minute or so, and then Ben reaches out to grab two fresh bottles of Butterbeer, cracking them open smoothly and handing one to Rey. She takes it wordlessly, still not looking away from the sculpture, then raises it and taps the glass rim against his with a soft _clink_ by way of a silent ‘cheers’. They both take deep swigs.

Abruptly, he turns to face her, taking another gulp of his drink and running his eyes up and down her figure.

Rey remembers with a cold pang of self-consciousness that she is dressed like a bloody _pumpkin_.

Jannah had tried to convince her to dress up as a ‘ _sexy Phoenix’_ , as she had called it. A panic inducing idea that Rey had quickly wormed away from.

She glances down at herself too and winces. Her arms are bare, but her slender legs are wrapped in orange and black striped socks that sit just above her knee. Her body is swallowed up by an oversized, puffy orange sphere, with a cheery face painted across the front.

Her cheeks are speckled with large orange circles, which Rey is actually grateful for as she is sure she is blushing something fierce.

_At least you didn’t wear the stork hat_ , she desperately tries to reassure herself.

“I’m a pumpkin”, she blurts out, as if it might not be clear for some baffling reason.

“I can see that”, he smirks and takes another sip, “and a very cute one, too”.

A flush of heat tinges Rey’s skin and she sways on the spot. Ben twitches as if ready to catch her at any second.

Her reflex and silver tongue tell her to clap back at him, but the scathing words never come.

Because she’s taken aback to realise how much she _likes_ being called cute by Ben, even if he _is_ definitely being snarky.

She looks up into his eyes. The ebbing light of the pumpkins overhead have lit up his irises and Rey becomes entranced by the tiny flecks of gold and brown that decorate them, like the embers of the Fiendfyre dragon.

In a desperate bid to divert the attention to anywhere that isn’t herself, she takes her turn to survey his costume. Or lack thereof.

“Erm- what are you meant to be?”, she asks curiously.

A mischievous, childish smile cracks across his lips.

“I’m a Boggart”, he answers casually, as if it were the most obvious answer in the world.

Rey raises her eyebrows at him and nods, feigning a look of impression.

“Wow, you’ve really nailed it, moody overgrown American boys are my greatest fear!”, she smirks right back at him.

Ben twirls his wrist mid-air in a self-congratulatory bow and takes another drink, before his façade breaks and he falls into a bashful laughter. His eyes crinkle into thin lines and he _giggles_ through his slightly crooked teeth, his shoulders shaking uncontrollably as the joy rumbles through him. Rey is a little taken aback at how much younger he suddenly looks when he lets go like this.

His laughter trails off when his attention is captured by something over Rey’s shoulder.

“I think your friends are wondering where their refills are”, he looks back to her and cocks an eyebrow. His mask is back on and he is tense once more.

She glances over her shoulder toward the group. Rose and Poe are huddled close together, chattering excitedly about something, but Finn is staring straight at her with his arms held up in way that screams ‘what’s the hold up?’.

Rey grabs three more butterbeers in one hand from the Acromantula’s chest cavity and smiles shyly up at Ben.

“I’d better- “, she trails off, jerking her head toward the impatient Finn.

“Of course. See you later, little pumpkin”, he winks at her. Rey finds her mind wandering back to that eventful first D.A.D.A class and the sense of undiluted rage that that same wink had stirred inside her.

This one, however, she didn’t mind very much _at all._

She reluctantly turns away from Ben and slides through the maze of stumbling bodies back to where her friends sit.

“Errr- what was _that?_ ”, Finn eyes her suspiciously as she dishes out the fresh drinks.

“What was what?”, Rey responds, trying to sound nonchalant and failing _miserably_.

“ _You know what!”,_ Rose cuts across him, “one minute you and Solo are trying to maim each other, and now you’re making moon eyes at him?!”

“I was not making _moon eyes_ ”, Rey hisses, “he said hello, I said hello back, I was just being polite!”

“C’mon, trying to maim him is basically a proposal of marriage from Rey. Plus, he’s a little handsome in an unbearable, miserable kind of way”, Poe chips in and reaches across to nudge her jovially.

She rolls her eyes and mutters a vague ‘shut up’ at them all as they all have a good laugh at her expense. They begin to idly chat amongst themselves once more; admiring people’s costumes, whining about classes, taking it in turns to do exaggerated impressions of Snoke’s piercing voice.

Rey can’t help herself, and eventually she begins to subtly scan the clearing for any sign of Ben. She spots him pretty easily, a head above most of his peers. She strains her neck to see who it is he’s talking to and her heart plummets into her stomach.

In front of him stands a tall, very pretty Slytherin girl, dressed in a curve hugging PVC catsuit, with lazy whiskers streaked across her cheeks.

_A cat,_ Rey grumbles internally, _how original._

The girl is talking animatedly, running her fingers through her short, choppy white hair and pouting her full, scarlet coated lips at him. Rey stares at her, as if focussing on that plump mouth hard enough will give her any insight into the words tumbling from them.

Why does she _care_ who he’s talking to or what she’s saying to him _?_ She doesn’t even like the guy, really. He’s obnoxious. Cocky. She only scrounges up the strength to be nice to him _sometimes_ because Chewie asked her to.

So then why does her skin flush hot when Ben’s companion begins to giggle loudly. Why is there a painful knot in the pit of her gut? And why does it loosen a little when Ben’s apathetic face doesn’t return her smiles?

He looks _bored_.

Or is he trying to play it cool in front of this stunning mystery lady, with sex appeal oozing from her every pore?

She forces herself to tear her eyes away from the scene and seamlessly threads her way back into her friend’s conversation; making plans for their first Hogsmeade trip in a few weeks.

But that knot remains for the rest of the night. It takes all of her willpower to not look his way.

It’s burden doubles when the partygoers begin to dissipate back through the trees, and she notices that Ben must have already left because there is no sight of him.

Nor the pretty Slytherin girl.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Harry Potter References

[Bubble-Head Charm](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Bubble-Head_Charm)

[Expecto Patronum - The Patronus Charm](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Patronus_Charm)

[Divination Class](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Divination_\(class\))

[North Tower](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/North_Tower)

[Flying Class](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Flying_\(class\))

[Fiendfyre](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Fiendfyre)

[Aguamenti - The Water-Making Spell](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Water-Making_Spell)

[Flobberworm](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Flobberworm)

[Pixie](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Pixie)

[Werewolf](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Werewolf)

[Hogwarts Portraits](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Portrait)

[Acromantula](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Acromantula)

[Butterbeer](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Butterbeer)

[Boggart](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Boggart)

Star Wars References

Any guesses who our mystery Slytherin girl might be? 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Friday! :)

_Kay is going to bloody kill me,_ Rey groans internally as she pulls on her striped Quidditch jumper over a battered old _Holyhead Harpies_ t-shirt.

She dives over to the dormitory window which overlooks the huge green pitch to assess whether there are any signs of her team down there yet. It still looks empty and she sighs a little breath of relief as she slides her feet into her boots.

Rey barrels down the spiral stairs, almost tripping on the last step, and vaults through the open portrait hole.

She is currently only three minutes late to practise and she reckons she can haul arse to the pitch in another five, but the Gryffindor Captain _loathes_ tardiness, even from her star Seeker, and Rey knows she’s in for the bollocking of a lifetime when she does eventually get there.

Firmly but gently elbowing a group of snail pace first years out of the way on the Grand Staircase, Rey shouts apologies of “sorry, sorry, please move!” over her shoulder as she streaks across the entrance hall and out into the cold November wind.

The icy air slaps her in the face the second she emerges outside. It burns in her throat and makes her jaw ache but she doesn’t let it slow her down as she sprints across the grounds. Chewie has scattered the stony pathways with salt, and Rey makes a mental note to thank him with some sort of whiskey-based offering later.

The dressing room tent is empty when she skids inside and Rey winces. They must have already started without her.

She freezes in place, listening for any sign of life on the pitch beyond.

Then she hears Kaydel’s _furious_ screams.

“WHAT THE EVER-LOVING _FUCK_ IS GOING ON?!”

_Shit._

Rey is in trouble.

She tiptoes to the broom shed and gently lifts out her trusty old _Nimbus 2001,_ a hand-me-down from Rose when she had inherited her sister’s _Firebolt_. She creeps out of the tent and down the tunnel that leads onto the pitch.

The scene before her is not _remotely_ what she was mentally bracing herself to see.

The Gryffindor team are standing with her back to her in the centre of the pitch. Rooted in the dirt directly in front of them is the Slytherin team, all looking rather sheepish.

Kaydel’s voice can be heard from somewhere in the centre of the sea of red and green uniforms, glimpses of her hands waving hysterically in the air as she shrieks profanities.

As Rey approaches, she can see more clearly that the Slytherin Captain, Phasma, heads up their side of the rabble. Her teammates huddle behind her tall, statuesque figure so close that half of them are obscured from sight.

Phasma stands with her arm hung over the top of her upright broom, watching Kaydel rant with an expression somewhere between boredom and impatience.

Rey quietly joins the back of the gathering, gently nudging the Gryffindor beaters Tai and Voe to grab their attention. Voe rolls her eyes in a mock exasperated manner.

“What’s going on?”, Rey mouths silently to them.

They both shrug in unison.

“Something about the practise schedule” Tai whispers so quietly it’s barely audible against the wind.

Rey squeezes between Finn, Jannah and Poe to stand beside Kaydel who is now pinching the bridge of her nose, grunting angry sounds and incoherent murmurs.

“What’s going on?”, she repeats, her eyes darting between the two Captains.

Phasma sighs and waves a hand nonchalantly as if all this really isn’t a big deal.

“We got special permission from Snoke last night to use the pitch for practise today, but apparently that message didn’t reach you guys, hence…”, she jabs a head in Kaydel’s direction, whose face turns an even deeper shade of purple.

“ _We_ had it first, I booked all of our practises in on the second day of term, and Antilles approved them _all_!”, she squeaks, “Snoke can’t just override the practise schedule because he feels like it!”

“Actually, he can”, Phasma rolls her eyes, “in special circumstances”.

Kaydel flounces away and disappears into the dressing rooms, shouting something over her shoulder about _‘going to see Professor Tano about this’._

Rey places one hand on her hip and squints sceptically “what do you mean _special circumstance_?”.

“Our first game is in less than two weeks and we need to train our new Seeker”, she responds coolly.

Rey snaps to stand straight and fails to hide the mix of surprise and intrigue in her voice.

“New… Seeker?”, she mumbles.

Phasma smirks, “yup, bought him on board last night. What’s wrong Niemand? Scared of some new competition?”.

Rey smiles back playfully. She hated to admit it, but she did quite _like_ the Slytherin Chaser and Captain. They had never been friends as such, although they had a kind of respect for each other. Rey admires her as the formidable Quidditch opponent she is, and the feeling is reciprocated.

“ _Please”,_ Rey snickers, “I’m practically _begging_ for a little bit of a challenge from you guys, it would be a first… who is it, then? Some poor first year?”.

She cranes her neck sideways to scan the Slytherin faces.

They begin to shuffle aside and part ways as their newest member reluctantly steps forward, his eyes on the ground and his long, dark hair falling partially over his eyes.

_Give me a freaking break_ , Rey screams internally.

⋆ ⋆ ⋆

The two teams sit in awkward silence in the dressing room tent to shield from the heavy assault of rain that has begun to pour onto the castle.

Ben glances timidly in Rey’s direction a few times but she keeps her eyes fixed firmly on her shoes.

Kaydel returns with Professor Tano on her heels, who confirms that yes, in fact, Snoke _has_ granted the Slytherin team permission to practise with Ben and that yes, Gryffindor _will_ have to reschedule.

Hux begins to interject, suggesting brightly that the teams could practise together, an idea that Kaydel refuses to entertain for a second.

The Gryffindors trudge heavily back toward the castle. The rain lashes against her clothes and soaks her to the bone as Rey stomps through the mud, letting it splash up all over her legs. The gloomy weather is dragging her mood to a new low and she sulkily lets it weigh her down into oblivion.

Rey had been so looking forward to this practise. Soaring over that pitch gave her such a sense of freedom, of carefree weightlessness. It was a sensation she had been craving ever since she set foot back inside the castle.

Why is this boy so determined to mess with her? It’s like everything he does is with the sole intention of pissing her off. Like her own personal thunderstorm following her around.

As they haul through the entrance hall and toward Gryffindor Tower, Finn wraps an arm around her shoulders and Rey notices for the first time that she is shivering. She feels like her blood is made of ice as though she will never be warm ever again.

“So”, Finn says in a sing-song tone that she _knows_ is intended to cheer her up although it sends her a little deeper into her despair, “now that we have the whole afternoon off, fancy some Wizard Chess?”

“Not really in the mood”, Rey grumbles.

“Ahh come on, you’re just being a wimp because you know I’ll wipe the floor with you”, he teases, “I’ll even bring some Chocolate Frogs?”

He pokes fun at her and cracks jokes in an attempt to tear her from her bad mood the whole way to the Common Room. He even goes as far as to ‘accidentally’ smear mud on the bannisters of the Grand Staircase in clear site of Caretaker Tarkin, who swears loudly at them as they run away from him.

Reluctantly, Rey agrees to join him for a few games in the Great Hall after she has washed and peeled her soggy clothes off of her body. She takes a long shower, humming in pleasure as the hot water rushes over her goose-bumped skin and slowly returns the feeling to her numb fingers and toes.

When she emerges, she perches on the very end of her bed, wringing her hair out with a fluffy towel but mostly allowing the roaring stove in the centre of the room to dry her.

Absentmindedly, Rey crosses to the tower window and stares out of it, brushing the knots out of her chestnut hair. She _glares_ down at the pitch and the green streaks whizzing back and forth, looping and spinning around each other.

She scans the bodies until she identifies Ben, hovering on his broom a significant height above the rest of his team. He is so far that he is barely the size of an ant, but he is identifiable by the way he floats back and forth as though searching for something.

He _dives_ and Rey freezes mid brushstroke, the comb dangling loosely from her hair, watching him intently.

Ben speeds toward the ground, surely too quick and too haphazard to be able to pull up in time. Rey gasps and waits for the inevitable impact, but it never comes. He tugs upward, effortlessly avoiding the bone splintering crash by what must be mere inches, and careens to his left.

One of his peers misjudges their own turn and ends up hurtling head-on directly toward Ben, who gracefully tilts his body and barrel rolls twice out of their path.

He weaves and glides an elegant path around his teammates in a way that makes no sense for someone of his sheer size.

Rey plants her palm into her forehead and moans. _Loud._

Ben is an excellent flyer.

⋆ ⋆ ⋆

News of Slytherin’s new Seeker spreads through Hogwarts like wildfire. With the first matches of the season swiftly approaching, there are snippets of rumours and whispers to be heard in every corner of the castle.

_In hindsight,_ Rey thinks at breakfast a few days later, _it was probably stupid to think that the son of Han Solo would be anything other than phenomenal on a broom._

She shovels a crispy rasher of bacon into her mouth whole, followed by a spoonful of baked beans. She chomps happily and washes it down with a large gulp of pumpkin juice.

As she lowers her goblet from her mouth and from obscuring her vision, Rose thuds into the seat opposite her and drops her bag onto the bench alongside.

Usually immaculate, Rose looks almost unrecognisable now. Her eyes are sallow and lifeless, swollen with dark shadows set in stone beneath them. She has pulled her hair back into a messy bun and loose strands of hair hang around her face, lank and unkempt. The gold and black striped tie of her uniform sits undone around her neck.

Rey briskly pours her friend a large cup of strong tea and slides it across the table. Rose grumbles some inhuman noise that she assumes is thanks and downs the drink in one long gulp.

“Late night?”, Rey asks casually.

“Jacen’s losing it, I don’t know how much more I can take!”, Rose whines, “he had us out on the pitch for _thirteen hours_ yesterday- _THIRTEEN-_ and the day before that he called a last-minute practise after classes and we were running tactical drills _in the dark_. He only let us go when I threw the Quaffle in Sabine’s direction and it hit her square in the face because she couldn’t see! She had to go to the hospital wing with a concussion!”. She inhales a deep chug of air, having ranted herself breathless.

_“Stars”_ , Rey murmurs, “why is he being so… intense?”.

“He’s constantly barking about this being the final year for a lot of us and the final go at the Cup, to ‘ _walk out of here as champions’”,_ Rose says as she pours herself a second helping of tea, _“_ or something along those lines”.

Rey nods thoughtfully, “I guess I can understand that. It _would_ be nice to leave here with the title”.

“Sure it would, but we all know that the chances are you guys will storm it this year, Kaydel is _not_ going to let Ravenclaw swipe it from under your noses again”, she sips more gently at her drink now, “or maybe Slytherin, I hear Solo is pretty good”.

Rey shrugs in an attempt to be nonchalant, “I suppose”.

“Didn’t you do any recon when they hijacked your practise?”, Rose asks coolly, perking up a curious eyebrow at her.

“Erm- no, no- not really”, Rey stutters. She doesn’t know why she is reluctant to admit that she had spent forty-five minutes watching Ben expertly flit around the pitch from her bedroom window.

Rose frowns, unconvinced, but before she can launch into an interrogation there is the sound of Finn’s all too cheery voice.

“Morning”, he grins as he approaches the table, “ready for our favourite lesson with our favourite Professor?”.

There is a loud _clunk_ as Rey’s head makes contact with the table and she whimpers a loud “no”.

Finn loops one of his arms through hers and pulls her to her feet. “And once again I will say this, it was _your_ idea not to drop it!” he laughs as he leads her reluctant, grumbling body out of the Great Hall and down to the dungeons.

⋆ ⋆ ⋆

Rey and Finn stand at the back of the huddle outside the dungeon classroom, whispering frantically about tactics and formations to suggest to Kaydel at their next practise. Whenever Snoke may _allow_ them one.

“I think we’ve got the Parkin’s Pincer pretty nailed, but our Thimblerig Shuffle could use a little work”, Finn whispers, his eyes darting suspiciously to the Slytherins that stand several feet in front of them to make sure they are not eavesdropping.

Rey nods in agreement as he continues, “knowing Kay though, she’ll have us practising every move in existence, even the ones we don’t tend to use”.

“She left me a note last night that just said “ _get good: Wronski Feint’”,_ Rey groans.

“That’s because she knows Jacen has been trying to do it, _apparently_ Solo can do it perfectly”, he replies sceptically.

“He can”, she sighs as her mind flickers back to watching him do just that from her dormitory window, “I’ve seen him do it”.

“Of course he can”, Finn grumbles as the Potions Classroom door swings open.

They file inside and Rey does a double-take when she sees that it is not the sneering face of Snoke that awaits them, but the cheerful one of Professor Tano.

She catches Rey staring wide-eyed at her and flashes her a radiantly warm smile.

The pupils take their seats, whispering speculations as to Snoke’s whereabouts amongst themselves.

From the middle of the desks, Professor Tano clears her throat and the room falls into silence.

“Professor Snoke is feeling a little under the weather today, so we have the pleasure of each other’s companies”, she says brightly.

“What a shame”, snorts Finn from beside Rey, who fails to stifle a smirk.

For a second Rey thinks that the Gryffindor Head of House has heard, as she glances in their direction and a mischievous smile tugs at the corner of her lips.

“If you would please join me”, Tano gestures toward the teacher’s desk, atop which sits a large pewter cauldron and a silver platter covered with an emerald silk cloth, “we’re going to brew this one together”.

Looks of confusion are shared around the class as their stools scrape against the stone floor and they wiggle over to form a circle around the front desk. They had never once worked as a group in this class.

Professor Tano stands in front of the cauldron half-filled already with potioning water, her dragon heartstring fir wood wand held delicately in her right hand. She flicks it once, and the cloth vanishes from the metal tray to reveal the ingredients that rest beneath; ashwinder eggs, roses, peppermint flowers, a small jar of shimmering oil, moonstone and a few other bright powders. With another gentle jerk of her wand, a small flame begins to crackle beneath the pot.

She tucks her wand into an inside pocket of her midnight blue robes and rolls up her sleeves, taking care to fold them neatly up to above her elbows. Then she begins to hand out peppermint flowers to each student.

“Please kindly separate the leaves from each stem, we need to keep them wholly intact, so take care”, she instructs and folds her arms patiently while they do so. Before long, a small pile of leaves lay on the desk and the classroom is full of a crisp, minty scent.

Professor Tano scoops them into her palm, carefully picking out what must be the most potent and healthiest leaves one by one and dropping them into the cauldron.

Finn politely raises his hand, and Tano smiles at him by way of welcoming his query.

“What is it we’re making, Professor?”, he asks cheerily.

“You will see”, she grins, and hands him the handful of roses from the tray. “Please strip these of their thorns”.

Finn begins to do so, although his clumsy fingers don’t make the quickest or neatest job of it. He pulls apart two of the roses before flinching and sticking a pricked finger into his mouth, sucking the speck of blood that is bubbling on his skin.

From across the large desk, Ben leans over to take a few of the roses off of Finn’s hands, who mumbles a hum of thanks, still nursing his mortal wound. By the time all of the thorns have been removed, Tano has her head bent over a mortar and pestle, crushing the jagged lump of moonstone into a fine powder.

Without looking up she says, “thank you, boys, please drop them slowly into the cauldron, one by one”.

Ben scoops the thorns off the desk and into his palm, perhaps to save Finn from the threat of losing any more blood. Cautiously, with his eyes fixed on the now simmering potion, he tosses the thorns into the mix and thick, silvery mist pipes into the room.

“That’s enough”, their Professor says again, still focussed on her own task.

Rey is watching her with keen, admiring eyes. She had had no idea that Tano was so skilled with Potions, although she can’t say she is entirely surprised. She is an _exceptional_ witch.

Her large capri blue eyes flit up to look into Rey’s, a serene expression dashed across her copper skin. Reaching across, she hands her the small granite mortar which now homes the obliterated gemstone.

“Rey”, Tano says softly, “if you’d like to gently scatter this into our brew”.

She takes tiny pinches and sprinkles the glittering dust across the surface of the liquid. It turns a gorgeous opalescent colour as a charmed ladle automatically stirs it counterclockwise.

Their Professor whips her head up to beam at the class. “I think this looks just about perfect! Well done team!”.

The class react with a dazed mix of elation and shock, having never _once_ been praised within the four walls of this dungeon.

She continues, “now, does anyone have any inclinations as to what it _is_ we’ve actually made?”.

“Is it- it looks like Amortentia”, Finn says uncertainly.

Tano’s grin widens, “correct! Take ten points for Gryffindor”. Finn’s chest visibly swells with pride as she goes on, “Amortentia is the most potent and powerful love potion in existence… which also makes it arguably the most _dangerous_ ”, she finishes just as several students take a curious step closer to the cauldron.

Rey stares into the opaque potion, the delicious scent of it filling her nose and making her mouth water. She inhales deeply, letting it rush through her head and warm her chest.

It smells like fresh parchment, sweet cherries and something with a smoky undertone. It’s oddly familiar, like something from a faraway but lost memory.

The hazy scent fills Rey with a deep sense of comfort but also excitement. She soaks it in and relishes the warmth that spreads through her muscles. She allows it to wrap around her like a tight embrace and consume her.

Professor Tano’s voice yanks her back into the present moment, “can anyone tell me what makes Amortentia so unique?”.

Finn is stumped on this one, frowning as he racks his brain for the answer.

From across the desk comes Ben’s low, quiet voice, “it smells different to each person, according to what attracts them”. He gazes, eyes unfocussed, at the simmering liquid. His face is sombre and thoughtful, almost as if he wasn’t even aware that he had just spoken aloud.

Tano nods enthusiastically and breaks into a detailed rundown of the complexity, dangers and nature of this particular love potion.

Rey’s awareness fades away until her voice is just a low rumble in the back of her mind somewhere.

She mentally scrolls through her memories, searching for where she has smelt this intoxicating mix before. A distant recognition of being cold, but too hot at the same time, of a flickering fire in a window, of soft feathers, vaguely returns to her, but the thread slips through her fingers and is lost to her as the class is dismissed and the bodies around her hurriedly shuffle to gather their belongings.

Every student waves goodbye cheerfully to Professor Tano as they exit into the chilly dungeon corridor.

“I hope Snoke never gets better!”, Finn laughs as the electrified students head up the stairs to dinner from their most enjoyable Potions lesson in seven years.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Harry Potter References

[Holyhead Harpies](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Holyhead_Harpies)

[Nimbus 2001](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Nimbus_2001)

[Firebolt](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Firebolt)

[Wizard Chess](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Wizard's_Chess)

[Chocolate Frog](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Chocolate_Frog)

[Quaffle](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Quaffle)

[Parkin’s Pincer](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Parkin%27s_Pincer)

[Thimblerig Shuffle](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Thimblerig_Shuffle)

[The Wronski Feint](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Wronski_Feint)

[Potioning Water](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Standard_potioning_water)

[Dragon Heartstring Wand Core](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Dragon_heartstring)

[Fir Wood](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Fir)

[Ashwinder Eggs](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Ashwinder_egg)

[Amortentia](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Amortentia)

Star Wars References

[Phasma](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Phasma)

[Tai](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Tai)

[Voe](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Voe)


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Friday!
> 
> As always, thank you so much for all of your amazing comments and feedback. Life is a bit tough at the moment and so I can't tell you how much it lifts my spirits when I get such lovely notes from you all.
> 
> This chapter ended up being a bit longer than I intended, but I felt it best to leave it as is because the next two are gonna be quite eventful. 
> 
> Also, I'm on Twitter, let's be pals!  
> @riaxren
> 
> Have a great weekend! :)

In the last few days before their first match of the season against Slytherin, Kaydel works her team to the bone. She even goes as far as to start spot testing Jannah’s reflexes by propelling a ball of rolled-up socks at her head with absolutely zero warning.

It gets _very_ old _very_ quickly, to say the least.

When she isn’t practising with the squad, Rey spends pretty much every waking moment whizzing on her broom around the empty pitch or in a secluded corner of the grounds. One Sunday afternoon she even manages to bribe Chewie with a bottle of firewhiskey to pelt rocks at her while she dives between them to avoid losing any teeth to one. He helps ease her stresses afterwards by plying her full to her brim of tea and rock cakes, although Rey has the humorous thought that they could have just used the solid baked goods as substitute Bludgers.

She throws every scrap of energy that she has into perfecting her techniques, even rehearsing her Wronski Feint to a place that she is ecstatic with, although it isn’t quite flawless. Her style has always been more of an aggressive, organic one as opposed to the theatrics that many other Seekers favour.

It is the night before the game and to her irritation, Slytherin once again are using the pitch, so Rey is flying after a fizzing whizzbee that she has charmed to zoom over the lake with impressive speed. She has been doing this relentlessly for several hours and the icy wind has numbed her fingers and face. She is placated only by the fact she gets a tasty treat every time she makes a catch.

Her current delicious candy target skims over the water’s surface, careening from one direction to the other. The dwindling light makes it hard to spot, but it’s only a handful of minutes before Rey seizes it in her palm and tosses it happily into her mouth, shivering a little at the sourness that washes over her tongue.

She chomps down on it with her back teeth and hangs in place over the water, watching something move deep in the depths of the murky lake. Instinctively she pulls her broom a little higher, pretty certain that Kaydel wouldn’t ever forgive her for being drowned by the merpeople.

Rey reaches into her jacket pocket to pull out a new makeshift Snitch but finds the packet empty already. “Guess that’s my queue to go to bed”, she sighs to herself, and twists her body to guide her broom gently back in the direction of the castle, stopping to scoop her book bag from the lake’s shore where she has left it.

She opts to just carry her broom up to the dormitory with her rather than return it to the pitch lockers and risk running into the Slytherins; a decision she almost immediately regrets when she has barely got to the second floor and her exhausted shoulders begin to ache under the heavy weight of it slung across them.

She bumps into one of the Slytherin Beaters, Ezra Bridger, on the Grand Staircase, who politely offers to carry her bag for her, which Rey finds odd seeing as she is headed to the literal opposite side of the castle to him. He accompanies her up a couple of flights, nattering idly in her ear, even after she refuses his offer.

They stand on the fourth-floor landing, waiting for the stairs to shift in their favour.

“Wait, weren’t you guys practising tonight?”, Rey cuts across him mid-sentence.

Ezra nods, “we were, but Phas dismissed us all a while ago. She’s still down there with Solo, I think”.

She mirrors his nod, hoping that her face is reading as indifferent.

Ezra wishes her a goodnight and waves as he vanishes back downward and away to the dungeons.

Rey slogs the rest of the stairs up to Gryffindor Tower and it takes her five attempts to slot her broom through the portrait hole as the Fat Lady tuts and offers various unconstructive criticisms of her “heavy-handedness”.

Finally, Rey glides into the dormitory to find Kaydel and Jannah already fast asleep, undoubtedly by demand of the former. As quietly as humanly possible, Rey slides her thick winter clothes off and buries herself between the toasty sheets of her soft bed, which swallows her into a deep sleep almost instantly.

⋆ ⋆ ⋆

“I don’t know how you don’t _choke,_ Rey, honestly”, Rose murmurs, somewhere between awe and disgust, as she stares across the table at her friend shovelling scrambled eggs down her throat.

Rey doesn’t hesitate in adding another spoonful of food into the mix and screws her face up defiantly, “I need my strength!”, she protests with her mouth full.

From beside Rey, Kaydel holds a hand up and wags a finger in Rose’s direction. “Hey! Hey! No fraternizing with the enemy! Stop trying to get in my Seeker’s head!”.

“Kay, you’re not even _playing_ us today!”, Rose rolls her eyes and chuckles, “if anything I’m trying to _help_ your cause by making sure you’re not a player down because she’s suffocated on baked beans!”.

Kaydel elects to ignore this perfectly rational answer as she dishes out third servings of toast to her team scattered around her, clucking about how they all need to eat as much as they can.

The Great Hall is absolutely buzzing with excitement, much to Rey’s relief. The atmosphere outside is torrential and rain lashes down onto the grounds. Bad weather always muted the crowd’s enthusiasm and sometimes made them downright miserable if the game wasn’t thrilling enough to make it worth their while. It added pressure to entertain that she didn’t really need on top all the other overwhelming factors of this match.

Students are draped in house flags and carrying bewitched banners that flash with messages of encouragement for their team. Beaming faces are painted in streaks of gold and red or green and silver and there is even a cluster of Hufflepuffs sporting bright red transfigured hair; something that Rey has no doubt is Rose’s handiwork.

A few younger students clasp Rey on the back as they pass by her and she smiles in thanks for their support. The sweet Ravenclaw first year, Temiri, timidly shuffles over to her to wish her good luck and gives her an awkward hug. The gesture makes Rey’s heart swell to twice its size.

Every so often cheers break out amongst small crowds and are met by roaring replies from the opposing colours. At the point of which Finn gets a scolding look from Professor Tano when he clambers to stand atop the table and join in with chants of _“Finn is King”_ , Kaydel decides it is time to head to the pitch for one of her famous forty-five-minute-long pre-game speeches.

The team follow their Captain out to applause and yells from the Gryffindor students, and Rey is sure she catches a few from the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables too.

She drags behind the rest of the group, hanging back for a second to grab another slice of toast for the road and then scurrying after them. As she hurriedly rounds the corner into the Entrance Hall, she slams face-first into a wall of green striped Quidditch uniform.

“Oof – sorry!”, she squeaks as she staggers against the impact.

One strong hand grabs the top of her right arm and pulls her back upright. An airy, breathy laugh skims across the top of her hair.

Rey looks up into Ben’s face. He looks a little amused, which strikes her as strange.

“Oh it’s… _thank you_ , Ben”, she says brightly and with only the tiniest edge of sarcasm. She doesn’t want to get told off for supposedly being a _brat_ again.

He smirks playfully at her and just stares down at her for a long moment. “Good luck today, Rey”, he eventually says.

“I don’t need luck”, she quickly replies, returning his cheeky smile, “but you t- “.

She is broken off mid-sentence when without warning, Ben slowly reaches out to tuck a long strand of wavy chestnut hair behind her ear, knocked loose out of her signature buns from the collision with his obnoxiously large chest.

Rey’s mouth hangs agape and she temporarily forgets how to blink.

Or breathe for that matter.

His cheeks turn a rich shade of red and Rey wonders if the tips of his ears are the same colour, like they were after their little Fiendfyre incident when he had held onto her for just a little too long than necessary.

The corners of his lips twitch in a shy, forced smile and he brushes past her and into the Great Hall without saying another word.

Applause erupts from within the hall at his arrival.

_They’re definitely red_ , she thinks as she scuttles out of the main doors and into the downpour beyond.

⋆ ⋆ ⋆

“Now this is going to be a tough game, a _tough, tough_ game, but we can do it!”, Kaydel shouts as she anxiously rocks back and forth on the balls of her feet. “Slytherin are good, but we’re _better_!”.

She is met by a _‘whoop’_ from Tai and Voe.

“We’ve been practising harder and we’ve got more raw talent in our little fingers than they have in their entire bodies!”, she goes on.

The team nod enthusiastically, every so often one of them throws in a clap for good measure.

“We _have_ to get this one in the bag, it sets the tone for the entire rest of the season, we’ve got to come out of the gate _strong_!”, their Captain continues to roar.

When her pep talk winds to a close, Kaydel gathers them into a group huddle and they bounce on the spot and chant ‘ _LIONS! LIONS! LIONS!’_ as the adrenaline and excitement coursing through them comes to a buzzy peak.

They mount their broomsticks. Rey closes her eyes and takes a deep, measured breath, centring herself.

“ _LET’S DO THIS!”,_ Kaydel shrieks. In unison, they kick off hard from the ground and soar onto the rainy pitch.

The team is met by _thunderous_ applause and cheers as they cycle around the edge of the pitch, showboating for the spectators.

Finn stops to hover directly in front of the Gryffindor stand, pumping his fist into the air and hyping up the crowd. He even goes as far as to hold up a thumbs down and encourage the entirety of his house to scream ‘ _BOOOOOO!’_ as the Slytherin team pour onto the pitch behind them.

Professor Antilles gives the Captains the usual warnings against foul play, makes them shake hands and blows his whistle to signal the start of the match.

Fourteen brooms are propelled skyward. Rey sees Ben instantly streak to one end of the pitch, a blur of green and silver robes, then begin to make large loops in the air to cover as much ground as possible.

Rey pulls the handle of her broom upward, climbing higher and higher until she sits a good thirty feet above the action. She squints, struggling to see through the thick rain, and flicks her gaze around the air beneath her, quick but focussed.

She balances her attention between her search for the Snitch, watching for any sign that Ben may have spotted it, and the progress of the match. She holds that position for fifteen minutes as she watches Gryffindor score one, two, three goals, and Slytherin respond in quick succession with an equal three of their own.

Far below Rey’s dangling legs, Jannah fires along the length of the pitch, her head down and the Quaffle tucked tightly under her arm. She weaves elegantly and effortlessly between the opposing Chasers who lunge at her in an attempt to seize the ball. Slytherin Beater Ezra Bridger sends a Bludger _rocketing_ toward her and Rey’s stomach lurches, so sure that the heavy iron ball is going to meet its mark. But at the very last second, Voe swerves in to run alongside beside Jannah and whacks the Bludger back in Ezra’s direction, who is forced to throw his weight sideways and dangle off his broom to avoid being struck.

There is the loud twang of the score bell as Jannah slings the Quaffle through the middle goal hoop and the stadium quakes with celebration from the Gryffindor stand.

Slytherin quickly retaliate with two more goals, though, and the score sits at 40 - 50 to the opposition.

Rey begins to slide from one end of the pitch to the other, looking a little more frantically for the Snitch now. She holds her hand over her head to shield her eyes from the rain which only seems to be getting heavier by the minute.

_Clang_. 40 - 60 as Phasma scores an infuriatingly impressive goal from far out.

She drops down several feet, twisting her body left and right over the sides of her broom as she paces, hoping that constantly changing her angle may cause some speck of grey light to hit the Snitch in a new way that catches her eye. Rey runs her palms back over her hair, slicking it back out of her face.

A hot rush passes over her ear exactly where Ben had touched it earlier. A ghosted memory.

_Clang._ 50 - 60 and the red and gold clad stand rumbles.

It feels like milliseconds before there is another ring of the bell to signify that Slytherin have equalised and their celebratory yells are stifled.

“We could really use that Snitch, Rey!” Kaydel bellows as she whips past underneath and toward the goal hoops with all three opposing Chasers hot on her tail.

Rey watches with bated breath as her Captain slams another goal past Hux.

Her heart skips. There. A few feet above the Slytherin Keepers head is a tiny glint of gold metal and fluttering silver wings.

She glances carefully at Ben who is still tracing wide circles, his brow furrowed in concentration. He apparently hasn’t noticed the Snitch yet, but he _is_ a few dozen feet closer to it than Rey currently is, and she doubts it will be long before he catches up.

Rey begins to widen the length of her paces, trying to act nonchalant so as not to bring Ben’s attention to where her nervous eyes keep darting. She tosses up between gradually edging closer to the puny golden ball and risking it darting off or making a beeline for it and risking Ben getting there first.

Two more rings of the bell as she contemplates. The score now sits at 70 - 70.

“Fuck it”, she murmurs to herself as she abruptly throws her entire weight forward and shoots in the direction of the Slytherin hoops.

She jets past Ben, purposefully coming within inches of colliding into him in the hope that the fear will delay his reaction time by a second or two.

He doesn’t falter and is straight after her, Rey can sense him only half a metre behind.

The Snitch rockets sideways to skirt a lap around the perimeter of the pitch and both Seekers hurtle after it.

The crowd is electrified, their screams ring in Rey’s ears to an almost painful extent but they just spur her on. The winter wind lashes at her face and tears begin to form in Rey’s eyes, obscuring her vision even further against the rain. She blinks away any wetness from her lashes and presses her body flat against the handle of her broom, using every ounce of her focus to will it forward.

The tiny winged ball drops to skim a couple of metres above the grassy ground and then spins to rush in the opposite direction. Ben makes the u-turn a fraction of a second quicker than Rey which brings them shoulder to shoulder as they barrel after it. She tries to shove her weight sideways to throw him off track, but he doesn’t budge an inch against her feeble attempts.

They propel forward, evenly matched, neither of them able to gain even an inch on the other.

_Okay, time for something drastic,_ Rey resolves.

She grits her teeth and tightens her grip around her broom. She takes her boots off of the foot grip and folds her legs up tight to rest atop the handle. Using all of her strength, she pushes herself up to a squatting position, balanced shakily on the wood as though riding a surfboard.

_I’m going to regret this_ ; Rey thinks as she _launches_ herself off the end of her broom and toward the Snitch to close those last few precious inches, desperately clawing at the air as she plummets toward the floor.

As she falls, she is aware of something grasping at the back of her jumper but finding no purchase, trying to hold her back.

Or trying to catch her?

She manages to twist her body around so that when she collides with the wet, squishy ground, it’s with her back rather than her face. There are shrieks and gasps of horror as she slides backwards through the thick mud, tensing every one of her muscles and squeezing her eyes shut tight.

After what feels like hours, she gradually slows and grinds to a halt.

The entire stadium is silent, holding their breaths.

Slowly, Rey opens her eyes and stares up the grey sky, blinking against the droplets scattering over her skin. She runs her awareness over every limb, every bone. Nothing is broken, but she is going to have some _wicked_ bruises tomorrow.

She holds her arm up into the air so that the entire school can see the small, golden Snitch that is desperately writhing in her fist.

Every stand _explodes_ with raucous noise, and Rey _beams_ from the floor.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Harry Potter References

[Fizzing Whizzbee](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Fizzing_Whizzbees)

[The Fat Lady](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Fat_Lady)

[Bludger](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Bludger)


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Friday all! :) as always thank you so much for your feedback and love. This is my first multi-chapter fic and my second fic ever and I've been worried about some of my ideas and breadcrumbs not coming across clearly but it's been the best feeling to read your thoughts and speculations and know that that isn't the case!
> 
> Have an amazing weekend and I hope you enjoy this latest instalment.

Rey rides the high of her team’s win for the next few days, especially as the Hufflepuff v Ravenclaw game ends 160 – 200, leaving Gryffindor a solid 20 points clear in the lead.

This fact puts a playful spring in Rey’s step as she bounces around the castle on cloud nine. Not even the return of Professor Snoke can bring her euphoric mood back down to Earth.

She is elevated to hero status amongst her peers. Complete strangers that Rey has never spoken to at all during her years at Hogwarts approach her between lessons and during meals to congratulate her on her absolutely phenomenal stunt against Slytherin. A tiny first year girl with pigtails even asks Rey for an autograph one morning during breakfast. She politely shuts down this uncomfortable request but instead offers to give her some private coaching between matches. The girl squeaks in delight at this and shuffles away from the table so fast that she almost trips over her own feet.

Ben looks positively miserable over the defeat. He mopes in class and Rey swears she hears him _growl_ in Defence Against the Dark Arts when Finn launches into an animated retelling of how she had lunged off the end of her broom in pursuit of the Snitch.

By the time the first Hogsmeade trip of the school year rolls around, Rey finds herself unbelievably grateful for the opportunity to escape the school grounds for a few hours. She has admittedly started to feel a tad claustrophobic as a result of barely being able to walk ten feet without someone high fiving her.

Rey, Finn, Rose and Poe bundle straight into The Three Broomsticks to warm up after the long walk down into the village from the castle. The group feel the tension seap from their bones as they relax with a few rounds of Exploding Snap and fill themselves to tipping point with Butterbeer before wrapping themselves back up tightly in their winter coats and venturing once more out into the cold.

A thick layer of crisp white snow blankets the thatched shops and cottages of the all-wizard village. There are already seasonal holly wreaths hanging from every door and strings of twinkling fairy lights dangling between the rooves overhead. It’s like stepping into the most beautiful Christmas card.

They aimlessly peruse the quaint shops, with Rey insisting that they make Honeydukes their first stop. She crams her pockets and bag full of all her favourite sweet treats, making sure to pick up an extra box of fizzing whizzbees should she need them for more impromptu Quidditch practise.

Rey is content, then, with her pockets full of sugary joy. She follows her friends as they meander between shops, topping up their supplies of parchment and ink, while sucking greedily on an acid pop that she just couldn’t resist tucking in to.

They kick through the deep snow, stopping at one point even to engage in a brutal snowball fight with some local children.

The group slowly amble in the direction of the path that will lead them back to Hogwarts, diverting to take their usual stroll up the steep hill that leads to the Shrieking Shack.

The reach the peak of the slope and gaze up at the abandoned house, which is enclosed within a tatty picket fence that pokes out at crooked angles from the snow.

Rose bustles between her friends, drying off their snow dampened clothes with a hot-air charm, much to all their appreciation.

“Did you know it’s- “, she starts before being interrupted by Poe.

“-the most haunted building in Britain, you’ve told us”, he says teasingly and nudges her as she finishes straightening Rey’s hair like a fussing mother.

“Sabine reckons there’s a werewolf that lives in there”, Finn frowns thoughtfully and takes an unconscious half step backward.

Rey laughs cheerily, her eyes crinkling deeply at their edges. “Maybe it’s where _Snoke_ lives”, she jibes.

“Nah, it’s far too homely for that shrivelled up fig”, Poe scoffs, and is met by hearty chuckles from the rest of the group.

Their laughter is interrupted by crunchy footsteps behind them. All four spin to look in the direction of their new companions who are wearily climbing the last few feet of the hill.

It’s Ben and Hux. Rey whines under her breath.

The two boys chat quietly amongst themselves, their heads ducked low and their mouths obscured slightly by the thick knitted emerald scarves that are wound tightly around their necks. They look up and both start a little as though surprised to see anyone else in this area but continue walking until they draw up a few feet away.

“What are _you_ lot doing up here?”, Hux asks in an accusatory tone.

“Same as you, I imagine”, Rose shoots back instantly, a defensive edge to her voice.

“That’s useful, we could use something to _aim_ at”, he fires back almost as quick.

Rose folds her arms across her tiny body and scowls at him. “What are you talking about?”, she asks scoldingly and scrunches her features up at him.

“We came up here to practise some duelling spells”, Hux raises one ginger eyebrow at her and mimics her stance, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Well, good for you, you could use the practise”, she scoffs.

Hux narrows his eyes. “Bite me”.

“Don’t tempt me, _Armitage”,_ Rose growls.

Rey notices that a faint flicker of an amused smile tugs at Hux’s lips, like he is actually enjoying this back and forth with Rose. It twists into a malevolent smirk.

“Besides”, he fake croons, “from what I remember, it’s Niemand that could do with the practise. I’m sure Ben would be happy to assist with another _lesson”_. His eyes switch to Rey, and hers go to Ben, who is staring at the white ground as if praying for it to swallow him whole.

Finn moves forward an inch. “ _Sure_ ”, he says in a chirpy voice that is unusually high for him, “and after they’re done doing that, maybe Rey can teach him how to catch a Snitch”.

Hux’s face drops then and he flinches. He looks almost disappointed, as though he is kicking himself for leaving his flank open for that particular dig.

Poe pipes up then, not one to be left out of the fun. “Beside, Rey would absolutely _destroy_ Solo in a real duel”, he adds smugly.

_Please, please, shut up_ , Rey thinks.

The devilish smile returns to Hux’s lips.

“Do you think?”, he purrs, “let’s test your theory, then. Three on three. Midnight tonight. The Trophy Room”.

“You’re on!”, Finn, Rose and Poe shout in unison, and are met by an unheard unison groan from Rey and Ben, blown away on the howl of the wind.

⋆ ⋆ ⋆

Their evenings ‘ _activities’_ is all that her friends discuss the whole way back to the castle, and for the rest of the day for that matter.

Rey can’t say she is particularly enthused about the prospect of getting into a dick waving contest with Ben and his friends, but she would be lying if she said she wasn’t feeling at least a _little_ thrill at the prospect of putting him on his arse and asserting a little further dominance over him.

Over their dinner of juicy pork chops and butter drenched new potatoes, they huddle close, going over jinxes and suggesting their favourite offensive and defensive spells.

Rose waves cheerily at Ben and Hux when she spots them watching them intensely from across the hall. ‘ _Psyching out the enemy’_ , she calls it.

At a quarter to eleven that night, Rey, Finn and Poe squeeze carefully through the Gryffindor portrait hole, taking every care so as not to wake the Fat Lady, who would without a doubt cause a scene by berating them for sneaking out at this hour.

Rose is already waiting for them, stood invisible in the shadows between two large stone torches. When she steps into the dimmed candlelight that faintly illuminates the corridor with a wide grin on her face, Finn just about jumps out of his skin.

“What are you _doing?!”_ , he hisses.

“Being inconspicuous, obviously!” Rose whispers back.

Rey has to stifle a loud giggle by shoving her fist into her mouth.

They tiptoe through the seventh-floor passageways and out onto the Grand Staircase. All four of them hold their breaths nervously as they edge down the first flight of wide stone stairs. Their footsteps seem to echo ten times louder than normal up to the high ceiling above and the noise causes some of the portraits that line the walls to stir and moan in their sleep.

Nevertheless, they reach the sixth floor with relative ease. In all their years at Hogwarts, there weren’t many students better practised than sneaking around out of hours than Rey and her friends. They were pros at this.

They head for an empty bookcase opposite the Ancient Runes classroom that slides sideways with a protesting groan to reveal a secret passageway behind it that Rey had discovered in her second year.

“ _Lumos”,_ Rose whispers and the tip of her wind omits a small orb of light to guide them down the long forgotten, grimey winding stairs that lead directly to the third floor. Thick clouds of dust are sent billowing around their legs with every one of their steps that makes contact with the floor.

“Who do you think their third alternate will be?”, Finn whispers as he clings to the wall and feels his way through the darkness.

“Phasma, I assume”, Rey shrugs.

“That works in our favour”, Rose muses and she bats a large cobweb out of their path, “she’s not the strongest dueller”.

They creep out from behind the tapestry of Hengist of Woodcroft that conceals the other end of the passage and across the abandoned hall.

When they step inside the Trophy Room, the Slytherins are already waiting for them.

“Ah, decided to show up, did you? I almost thought you were chickening out”, Hux teases from where he stands slouched against a stone column.

The assumption that they would bring Phasma had been right, she stands behind Hux, twirling her wand amusedly between her long fingers. Ben is a few metres away from them, leant against a large glass cabinet that houses the ‘Special Services to the School’ awards with his hands shoved deep into his pockets.

Rey realises that this is the first time she has seen him out of some sort of uniform or warm clothing. He looks almost unrecognisably casual in dark jeans and a t-shirt that show off his muscular arms.

She stares dumbfounded at the sheer size of his arms.

_Those are… very large_ , she thinks. Her mouth goes dry and her breath catches in her throat. She shivers, reluctantly dragging herself back to the here and now and steps forward to take her place in the centre of the room.

“Why have you bought a fourth?”, Phasma asks coolly and nods in Poe’s direction.

“Oh, I’m just here to watch Rey kick Solo’s arse”, he winks at her in response, his signature suaveness sewn through every word.

Ben laughs through his nose and then pushes off from the cabinet, stepping forward to stand a few feet away from her.

“Well then, little pumpkin, let’s not keep Dameron waiting. Best of three?”, he murmurs so low that only she can hear him.

Her cheeks sting red hot.

Rey notices that he already has his wand gripped in his hand, dangling by his side. She pulls her own from the back pocket of her faded jeans and brandishes it before her.

They glare intensely at one another for a few minutes, waiting to see who has the guts to make the first move.

Ben shifts his weight the tiniest of fractions, and Rey strikes like a viper. She sends a non-verbal disarming charm barrelling toward him and he repels it with no strain at all.

He retaliates instantaneously with the same spell and Rey flicks it aside as if it were a fly.

There are grunts of _‘nice one, Rey’_ from her friends stood over her shoulder.

She doesn’t respond to Ben’s attack straight away, opting instead to bide her time. She stands perfectly motionless but begins to weave her wand left and right, as though it has a mind of its own, while she stares him directly in the eye.

What had Rose called it?

‘ _Psyching him out’._

Eventually he caves and lashes out again, another two silent attempts to disarm, which she bats away with ease.

He sends a jinx at her for good measure, which she sends flying over her head with the most insignificant flick of her wand.

Rey raises her eyebrows at him in a scorning, unimpressed fashion and tilts her head to the side.

She sees something in his eyes flash black at her expression.

One, two, three more silent jinxes rocket toward her only to be brushed aside.

“Come on, Benjamin, you’re _boring_ me”, she quips. Finn laughs. Even Phasma laughs a little.

She side steps out of the way of another jinx as it sails past her ear and explodes into the wall behind in a cascade of brilliant sparks.

A wayward lock of his black hair has fallen over his eyes now, but he doesn’t move to fix it. His breaths are deep, steadying, like he’s trying to stay grounded.

She’s rattled him, and she knows it.

Rey feigns a yawn, but then shoots back three of her own jinxes in a fast but unrhythmic pattern. As Ben is deflecting the third one, she tops it off with a mental cry of ‘ _Rictusempra!’._

The spell hits him square in the gut and he doubles over, _screaming_ with laughter as the tickling charm spreads and quakes through his entire being. Ben falls to his knees on the stone floor with a loud crunching _thud._ He shakes and hysterically rubs his hands over every inch of his body, trying to rid it of the unbearable sensation.

From his kneeling position, one arm wrapped tightly around his torso and still cackling uncontrollably, he raises the other arm and splutters out an incantation, “ _Fl-Flipendo!”._

His trembling wrist hadn’t allowed him to aim properly and the Knockback Jinx _crashes_ into a suit of armour in the corner of the room with a terrible _bang_.

The students watch as though in slow motion as the armour is split apart by the power of Ben’s spell and huge, heavy chunks of metal are sent flying in every direction.

The sound that the armour makes as it clatters to the floor is _deafening_ , it rattles Rey’s teeth and has her clasping her hands over her ears to try and drown it out. It’s almost intolerably painful to endure and sends her a little queasy.

All seven witnesses are statue still, watching the last few pieces of the armour roll around the floor, circling like spinning tops before crashing to the stone and leaving a ringing bouncing around the high walls of the room.

They all stare wide-eyed at each other, absolutely petrified.

“ _RUN!”,_ Finn hollers, and they scramble for the door.

Every one of them takes off in a different direction. Rey darts left out of the Trophy Room door and down a corridor lined with tall stained-glass windows that she doesn’t ever recall going down before. The night air whistles through her hair as she pelts down the moonlit passage. It ends in a narrow set of stairs that she takes downward two a time, leaping from the final step ungracefully to propel herself forward that little bit further.

She rounds another corner and gets halfway down a low-ceilinged walkway when a dim lantern light stops her dead in her tracks. It bobs against the far wall and casts a gigantic shadow of whoever is approaching from around the next turn.

Someone slim and small, their triangular pointy nose held high in the air and a sneering, curved lip pulled back over their teeth as if trying to sniff out _blood_.

Caretaker Tarkin.

Rey looks around desperately for somewhere, anywhere to hide, when a portrait of an ugly hunchbacked witch starts to scream at the top of her shrill, scratchy voice, “ _SHE’S HERE! DOWN HERE!”._

The silhouette grows larger against the backdrop of the wall as Tarkin quickens his pace in her direction.

Rey swears loudly at the vile old painting and turns to bound back up the stairs from which she just came. She hungrily gulps down air as she springs up them, sweat pouring down her face now and her chest heaving.

She hurtles back past the Trophy Room door and throws herself around the never-ending winding corridors and stairs beyond. So many passages and stairs she is baffled as to how they can all fit inside one section of the same castle.

Skidding to a halt at a T-junction, she takes a split second and listens carefully for any signs of life around her, although she can’t hear anything other than the sound of her laboured, exhausted breathing.

With absolutely zero clue as to where she is now or even what floor she is on anymore, she opts to keep sprinting until she reaches anything she recognises to guide herself back to Gryffindor Tower.

She has blind faith in these old walls to show her the way; Hogwarts often had a way of putting you precisely where you need to be.

For what feels like hours she navigates the halls and she has to admit that that trust in the castle is starting to dwindle.

She pushes round a tight corner and is struck hard in the face.

Rey falls to the floor, clutching her nose and wincing in pain. Her vision is blurry through the hot, painful tears that instantly begin to spill from her eyes.

Someone is on their knees in front of her then, her face in their warm, large hands. They hurriedly but tenderly wipe away the saltwater beads that stream down her cheeks with the pad of their thumb and move her hand aside to look at her bleeding nose.

“Rey, I- I didn’t see you!”, Ben whimpers, and brushes her sweat drenched hair back off of her forehead.

He sounds hurt, like _he_ is the one who just took an elbow to the face.

“What the _fuck_ , Ben?!”, she seethes, trying to wiggle free of his iron hold.

“You took the words right out of my mouth, Miss Niemand”, the voice of Professor Tano speaks from somewhere in the dark.

They both freeze, Ben’s hands still framing Rey’s pained, blood smeared face as the Deputy Headmistress ignites the tip of her wand and her face is cast into light.

“My office, if you will”, she utters calmly and leads the way as they trudge behind her, like two damned souls to the gallows.

⋆ ⋆ ⋆

When Rey sulks into the Gryffindor Common Room an hour later, her head hanging low and her bottom lip hanging out, Finn and Poe are waiting anxiously by the fire for her.

They spring to their feet and race over to her side, alarm etched all over their faces.

“What happened to you?!”, Finn demands, “we made sure Rose got to her dorm and then circled back to look for you but there was no sign of anyone!”.

Rey huffs and drops her shoulders even lower than they already are. “Tano caught us”, she grumbles.

“ _Us?”,_ Poe queries, cocking a dark eyebrow high onto his forehead.

“Ben and I”, she responds.

Finn’s mouth drops open, “did he come after you?!”.

Rey shakes her head, “no, I was running _from_ Tarkin, and I ran _into_ him… literally”, she adds with a groan and instinctively rubs the bridge of her nose.

The two boys look at her in horror, but their expressions inviting her to continue, which she obliges. “I hurt my nose pretty bad when I hit into him and got knocked down. Next thing I know Tano appears from bloody nowhere and drags us to her office!”.

Poe leans forward a little, assessing her face and inspecting for any injury to her nose, of which he finds none.

“She fixed me up”, Rey smiles at him, grateful anyway for his concern, “ _after_ she gave me a detention next Friday, that is”.

Her friends both wince and make ‘ _ooh’_ sounds of sympathy.

“What about Solo?”, Poe asks.

Rey shrugs, “she made him wait outside then took him down to talk to Snoke when I left. Guess she wanted to let his own Head of House deal with him”.

Finn wraps an arm around her shoulder and leads her to sit in front of the fire. She slumps heavily into the soft cushions of the couch. Poe hands her a lump of chocolate frog that he must have been anxiously nibbling at while waiting for her to return.

“Thanks”, she sighs, “can’t believe she gave me detention on a Friday night!”.

“Did she say what she’s going to make you do?”, Finn asks gently.

She shrugs sulkily again. “No, just said to report to her at ‘ _nine pm sharp’”,_ she says in an uncanny imitation of their Head of House’s soft tones.

The three of them sit for a while longer and recount the nights events, still riled up from the adrenaline of it all. Poe fills her in on how they had to hide behind a statue for ten minutes from Chopper, the school’s poltergeist, while he was scattering marbles outside Snoke’s office door.

The mental image lifts her spirits a little, but her mind keeps inevitably flitting back to her impending punishment and what the Head of Gryffindor House could possibly have in store for her.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

HP References

[Hogsmeade](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Hogsmeade)

[Three Broomsticks](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Three_Broomsticks_Inn)

[Exploding Snap](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Exploding_Snap)

[Honeydukes](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Honeydukes)

[Acid Pops](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Acid_Pops)

[Shrieking Shack](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Shrieking_Shack)

[The Trophy Room](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Trophy_Room)

[Hogwarts Secret Passages](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Hogwarts_secret_passages)

[Hengist of Woodcroft](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Hengist_of_Woodcroft)

[Rictusempra - The Tickling Charm](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Tickling_Charm)

[Flipendo - The Knockback Jinx](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Knockback_Jinx)

[Poltergeist](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Poltergeist)

Star Wars References

[Chopper ](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/C1-10P)\- just because I love the idea of Chopper being a little Poltergeist ;)


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Friday 😏😚💕

There’s nothing that bursts the bubble of a stunning Quidditch victory like being faced with all-night detention.

Her impending doom weighs heavy on Rey’s soul for the next five days and for once the week's lessons seem to pass by in a blur.

At 8pm the following Friday evening, Rey sits sulkily at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall, pushing her chicken pie and roast vegetables around her plate and feeling uncharacteristically unhungry. She can’t remember the last time she felt this dejected.

She had had her fair share of detentions before, no doubt about that, but they had been for missed homework, lateness, getting into a scrap when a particularly nasty Slytherin girl had called her a Mudblood and Rey had punched her in the nose in plain view of Snoke. Not once had she received punishment for being caught sneaking around out of hours. It was something, in fact, that she took great pride in.

Until _he_ had got in her way.

She whines and drops her fork to her plate with a loud clatter. She could swear that the bridge of her nose throbs a little in pain at the thought of him.

“You should eat something, Rey, in case Tano has you up all night”, Finn says gently, his attention seized by her sudden outburst of misery.

Rey reluctantly shovels two large forkfuls of pie into her mouth and chews grumpily. Finn laughs at her and she can’t help but crack a little smile, too.

Her friends do the best job they can in lifting her spirits, Poe even gives her his helping of sticky toffee pudding. By the time she rises from the table to meet her fate, she has to admit she feels a little less hopeless and ready to meet her certain doom.

It could be worse, she supposes, at least she wasn’t having to do her detention _with_ Ben. No doubt Snoke had him chained up by his ankles somewhere.

The thought makes her stomach lurch and her skin _burn_. She hadn’t considered what punishment Snoke would dish out to Ben, but the feeling of dread that is currently spreading through her chest tells her that she knows deep down that it will be something utterly cruel and degrading.

When she emerges into the Entrance Hall, she half jogs past the cold, unwelcoming archway that leads down into the dungeons, suddenly nervous to pass it as though it may pull her down into its depths.

It is 9pm exactly when she knocks hesitantly on Professor Tano’s heavy ornate office door.

“ _Come in”_ , her soft voice chimes from inside.

She shoves the door open with her shoulder and steps into the dim room. Tano sits at her desk, looking directly at Rey with her hands folded neatly together on top of her desk.

Hunched over with his huge limbs spilling over the edges of a chair that’s just a little too small for his frame, sits Ben.

“What is _he_ doing here?”, Rey blurts out.

Tano raises an eyebrow at her, unimpressed but apparently not shocked at her outburst. “Professor Snoke and I discussed it, and we decided that as you were caught sneaking around together, it is only fitting that you serve your detention in the same way. Together”.

Rey opens her mouth to protest, but the Deputy Headmistress holds one hand up to silence her. She rises from her red leather quilted chair and slides gracefully around the edge of the table, every movement is measured and smooth. The plum purple velvet of her robes skirt along the floor.

“If you would both kindly follow me”, she purrs, and leads the way out of the room.

As soon as her back is turned, Rey shoots an absolutely venomous look at Ben, who scowls right back down at her.

Tano shepherds them up to the third-floor corridor and Rey recognises that they pass the exact spot in which she had collided with Ben’s elbow. Her nose gives a little twinge again.

They stride through the moonlit, maze-like passages until she halts abruptly outside of the Trophy Room door.

“After you”, she gestures with one graceful hand for them to step inside.

They drag their feet into the sprawling room, filled with dull gold, silver and bronze trophies of every size, shape and design that one could imagine.

“I thought”, their Professor says with the tiniest trace of smugness in her voice, “seeing as you both seem so desperate to spend your nights admiring the achievements of your peers, that I would oblige”.

Both of them just stare at her, confusion set in their brows.

She places her hands onto her hips and continues, “it’s been a few years since the Trophy Room was given some TLC… so, the pair of you are going to polish up every single cup, shield and plaque in here until they are positively _sparkling_ ”, she smiles wryly.

_No problem,_ Rey starts to think-

“No magic”, Tano adds.

Rey’s jaw drops to the floor.

“Perhaps you will think twice before letting yourself be _caught_ next time, Miss Niemand”, she says, winking on the word ‘caught’.

She conjures up cloths and several tubs of polish for their task and leaves them on top of a small circular table in the centre of the room. She tells them that they may leave when they are finished and that she _will_ be checking that they have done a satisfactory job in the morning.

Then she clicks the door shut behind her and leaves them staring after her.

Without a word, Rey hikes the sleeves of her sweater up over her elbows and snatches one of the rags from the table. She stomps to the corner furthest from Ben and wrenches open a large cabinet, grabbing the 1972 House Cup from the highest shelf. She plops cross-legged onto the floor with the cup in her lap and begins rubbing the badger that is etched into its surface ferociously in tight circles.

It takes Rey almost ten minutes to get the gold trophy shining bright enough to see her own warped reflection frowning back at her, freckles and all. She roughly shoves it back into the tall cabinet and pulls out a huge silver plaque, so thick and heavy that she has to strain to lower it down to the floor where she gets to work.

They sit in eery, sulky silence for three hours, the occasional squeak of cotton against metal is the only sound that breaks through the tense atmosphere.

Rey’s arms are in agony, her shoulders have seized up from the hard scrubbing and her wrist has started to click loudly every time she rolls it around to loosen it. She stretches her arms high above her head, straightening out her sore spine properly for the first time in hours, and it clicks and twinges in several places. She winces and takes several deep breaths, expelling a little stiffness from her muscles.

She shoots a glance in Ben’s direction. He also sits cross-legged on the floor, hunched over a tiny cup that fits neatly into one of his hands. His eyes are narrowed, and he bites his lip as he focuses on his task. Rey is working through her side of the room at a much quicker pace than he is, and she takes a moment to take a mental jab at his clear lack of experience with manual labour.

Hard cleaning isn’t something that Rey is a stranger to. In her eleven long years living under Unkar Plutt’s care, and every summer break since then, she had become incredibly familiar with the concept of ‘ _earning her keep’_. In Unkar’s eyes, the definition of which had been making sure the entire home was spotlessly clean at all times. Even when it had been practically glistening, he had still forced Rey to spend hours scrubbing it on her hands and knees most mornings.

Another hour passes and the pair edge closer and closer together, working their way into the centre of the room. They sit only two metres apart now.

Rey is frantically smearing her cloth over an incredibly stubborn patch of dirt on a large gold shield. She adds another healthy blob of polish and exerts every ounce of pressure she can muster into removing the marks that obscure the words engraved into its surface. Her bicep quickly starts to burn with the effort and tiny beads of sweat dot her forehead. After what feels like hours of scrubbing, the name etched into the shield is revealed and she holds it proudly out in front of her to admire a job well done.

_‘Awarded to Anakin Skywalker_

_For Special Services to the School’_

The award is old. At least a few decades of time, relentless and unforgiving, has battered its edges and worn away parts of the elegant lettering. It had been shoved right at the back of one of the glass cabinets, obscured by five other trophies. Like someone, a long, long time ago, had been trying to hide all trace of it.

“He was my grandfather. He died before I was born”, Ben suddenly mutters. It startles Rey, in her musings she had almost forgotten he was there entirely.

She looks at him curiously and his face is solemn and thoughtful. There is a faint crease between his eyebrows as he stares at the shield in her hands.

She looks back to the gold clutched in her hands. She had never heard of Anakin Skywalker, although she supposes why would she have? All she knows is that either he himself wanted the only trace of him at Hogwarts to be concealed, or someone else wanted this hidden.

“I’m sorry”, Rey whispers. She doesn’t know why she says it but it’s all she can think of.

Ben’s expression stays intense and he never takes his eyes away from the name. “he was a brilliant wizard. Powerful. The best of his age, and many ages before and after for that matter… but he fell to dark magic. Shunned the name Anakin Skywalker and took the mantle of Lord Vader”.

Rey shivers a little. _That_ name she has heard. Read about in the darkest chapters of wizarding history.

“Everyone thinks that Anakin perished not long before Vader rose to power. Only a handful of people know what truly became of him”, he says, barely audible.

“Wh- what _did_ happen to him?”, her voice croaks.

“He sacrificed himself. Many, many years later. To bring down those who manipulated him in order to control him. To control his power”, he mumbles.

“He did?” Rey asks softly, a sad smile pulling at her mouth.

Ben is nodding. “To save Luke. His son. Even though he had never known him, or even that he lived. He returned to the light, in the end, for his family”.

Rey’s mind is racing. Why is he telling her this? She feels like she is snooping on his family’s deepest, most treasured secrets.

She begins to think she preferred it when he bit her head off at the mere mention of them.

“I’m sorry”, she repeats, at a loss for words, “that’s awful”.

“Don’t be”, a trace of a smile flashes in Ben’s eyes but it does not reach his lips, “I’m proud to be his grandson”.

Rey traces her thumb along the name on the now brightly shining gold. She too is suddenly overwhelmed by a deep glowing pride for this man she has never met, nor even heard of until a moment ago. Then her heart sinks into her feet as she pictures a young sandy-haired boy. Never knowing his father until it was too late, and then watching him die to save him.

“That must have been tough on your un- on Luke”, she rushes out, “to carry the burden of his father’s sacrifice for his life”.

A muscle under Ben’s eye twitches.

“Luke barely acknowledges my existence. He just sees me as his disappointment of a nephew. Let alone his father that was lost to the dark for his entire adult life”, he sneers, more than a touch of spite in his voice.

“That isn’t f- “, Rey starts.

Ben jumps suddenly to his feet and takes a few steps away from her. His body is tense, so strained that it looks as though his muscles will rip through his black sleeves at any given moment.

_Here we go._

“You don’t know my uncle”, he utters.

“Actually, I think it’s _you_ that doesn’t really know him. He cares, _too much_ if anything, he feels responsible for every single one of us here. Any idiot can see that and the toll it takes on him,”, she says from her position still sat on the floor, craning her neck to look up at his towering frame which faces away from her. She tries to keep her voice calm and level, but there is no mistaking the fire that flickers behind her words.

“Just put it away”, he snaps and waves a hand in the direction of the trophy, “what is _obvious_ to me is that your beloved Headmaster doesn’t intend for anyone to even _see_ it”.

Rey springs upright now, too, leaving the shield laying at her feet.

“You don’t know that he put it there, or that anyone was trying to hide it at all!”, she folds her arms defiantly across her chest, “but then again I wouldn’t even _be here_ to see it if it weren’t for you”.

Ben spins on his heel and steps toward her, his hands balling into fists by his side. “Oh, I should have guessed that this would somehow be my fault, I’ve been wondering when this was coming”, he laughs sarcastically.

Hot rage flushes Rey’s cheeks. Not as his tone but more the fact that he seems to think he has some foresight into her thoughts when he barely even know her. “ _You’re_ the one that got us caught by Tano!”, she accuses, her voice rising in pitch as well as volume.

“Because _you_ are apparently incapable of looking where you’re going, and _you_ ran in me. _Again!_ If anyone got us found out, it was you”, he retorts snidely.

“I wouldn’t have been running away if you could aim a bloody jinx properly!”, she is shouting now, jabbing a small finger into his solid chest. Her fury is rising at breakneck speed, her blood boiling under her skin, so uncomfortable that she thinks she might combust.

Ben leans into her digging at his chest and bows his head to glower at her. He doesn’t raise his voice, but it drips with disdain, “if your idiot friends hadn’t run their mouths to Hux, he wouldn’t have laid down the challenge and neither of us would be here. Maybe they should keep it shut in future”. He turns again and begins to pace angrily up and down the room while running his fingers through his hair.

“Oh sure, like you didn’t jump ten feet for the opportunity to fuck with me!”, Rey shrieks at him, her words tumbling from her lips now in an uncontrollable daze, “ever since you showed up here you’ve been going out of your way to be an insufferable arsehole to me! In fact, I bet you all plotted to land me in detention because of how I _humiliated_ you on the Quidditch pitch and now you’re just pissed that I dragged you down with me!”.

He freezes on the spot about eight feet in front of her.

“What you did during the match was foolishly dangerous, Rey. You could have been hurt. It’s just Quidditch”, he shoots back.

“Oh, don’t insult me by pretending you care, you’re just mad I _didn’t_ break my neck!”, she hisses.

“Why would you think I don’t care? I tried to fucking catch-“, he murmurs before she cuts him short.

“Ooh, let me think, Benjamin”, he flinches at the name, “you were a prick during our first Dark Arts class- “

“We were messing around- “

She shouts over him, and he shouts over her until their voices are at a thunderous pitch. An explosion of noise bouncing off the thin glass of the trophy cabinets, making the older, less robust panes rattle.

“-you were an obnoxious, arrogant fuckhead at the Owlery- “

“I _tried_ to apologise- “

“-when _all_ I was trying to do was be fucking _nice_ to you- “

“Yes, and again, I _tried_ \- “

“You wormed your way onto the Quidditch team, no doubt just to fucking spite me- “

“Oh, _get over yourself!_ My father plays- I’ve flown my whole fucking life- “

“I bet it was your idea to hijack our practice as some weird tactic to mess with our heads- “

“Listen, you fucking _brat_ , the world does _not_ revolve around you- “

“You’re absolutely _unbearable,_ I wish you’d _never_ fucking c- “.

Ben strikes, closing the space between them in a split second, his eyes blazing.

Rey prepares for a fight, clenching her fists, ready to start throwing punches.

He roughly grabs the sides of her face and his lips crash into hers.

The contact of his mouth on hers sends electricity shooting through her veins. It explodes in her stomach, setting ablaze an inferno inside of her that consumes her every sense, every thought.

Rey instantly reaches up, willing herself to slap him hard across the face, but instead finds her fingers lacing through that thick, gorgeous hair. She grabs a small fistful of it and pulls him closer, pressing harder into the kiss.

A deep rumble vibrates in the back of Ben’s throat.

He licks at the seam of her lips, and she parts them slightly. He wastes not a single second, instantly beginning to roll his soft tongue against hers.

The blaze inside of her is screaming now, threatening to devour her. And she wants it to. Wants it to burn and consume her from the inside out until there is nothing left of her.

Rey matches the brutal flicks of his tongue and then a deep instinct takes over. She tightens her hold on his hair and with her free hand grabs at his shirt, clinging to him to ground herself.

She laps at his hot tongue. Tasting him.

He _moans_ into her mouth.

His pleasure tastes like smoky whiskey. Like cherries.

It’s intoxicating to Rey.

Faint recognition creeps into her mind and one word flitters through it.

_Amortentia._

She tugs on his hair, a silent plea for more.

Ben drops one hand to grip her waist and the other to cup her jaw. He shoves her gently backward until her back hits solid stone wall. The hand on her lower half slides up underneath her sweater and his fingertips dig into her skin.

Her breath catches in her throat at the touch of his bare skin on hers. The spots where they meet seers scolding to the point that she is convinced he will leave permanent marks there. She hopes he does.

His huge frame presses still closer against her, his solid, muscular body dwarfing her slight one.

Something rock hard presses against her stomach and she realises with a tiny jolt that it’s _him_.

Her heart flutters.

Another word enters her brain.

_Massive._

A pleasant warmth has started to spread through her, and it soaks her underwear, causing a throbbing between her legs that intensifies with every flick of his tongue until it becomes almost unbearable to stand. She fidgets in an effort to stimulate the screaming nerves that are so desperate to be satiated.

Rey quickens the pace of their kiss and Ben’s teeth scrape against her bottom lip as he smiles, a breathy laugh escaping into her mouth.

He pulls away from her a little and she _whines_ at the loss of contact. She gasps for air and then lurches forward onto her tiptoes to chase his swollen lips.

Ben obliges, but the kiss that he returns now is slower, gentler, yet still yearning.

He tenderly begins to trace lines up and down her jaw with the pad of his thumb. Warily, he slides the other out from under her shirt and weaves his fingers through her hair, which now hangs messy and loose down her back.

His lips gradually slow, and he separates from her, but this time she lets him. Much to the horror of the wanting feeling in her thighs, so desperate that it is almost painful.

He skims his thumb over the freckles on her nose in a touch so light it’s as though he is a phantom, then presses a light kiss on the spot where his elbow had struck her not even a week earlier.

The tips of his ears flush an alarming scarlet, peeking through a thin gap in the hair that Rey has displaced with her wandering fingers. She gets a little kick in seeing the way she has ruffled him.

Ben leans back from her slightly, running his hands through her hair and pulling it forward over her shoulders. He absentmindedly combs his fingers through the small tangles in it that have formed, and a soft expression breaks out across his face.

Rey gazes up at him dreamily, watching his bruised lips as they twist into that beautiful boyish smile that he so rarely lets out.

Her skin burns at the memory of his touch. Her lips wallow in the absence of his against them, lost, lonely and crying for their return.

Ben crooks one finger under her chin and leans in close to her, the roaring embers in his eyes fixed on the glassy mist of hers.

“Your hair looks beautiful down”, he whispers as pulls her face to his and silences everything.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

HP References

[Mudblood](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Mudblood)


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Friday!
> 
> Thank you for your lovely comments about our last chapter, it really does mean the world that you would take the time to not only read this fic but to send a little bit of love about it :)

Ben doesn’t show up to breakfast the next morning.

Rey is certain of this because she checks the Slytherin table for any sign of him approximately five times per minute.

He never shows.

She isn’t sure if she is relieved at not having to face him just yet or dejected that he hasn’t shown up.

Where _is_ he? Is he hiding somewhere, ashamed of what had happened last night?

Tano had shown up with a mischievous glint in her eye mere seconds after their little _smooch fest,_ telling them they could leave and get some rest.

Rey stirs her porridge half-heartedly, trying to figure out why there are tears wavering over her vision.

Does she regret kissing him?

No, she realises, and a lead weight settles into the pit of her stomach as her next question skims through her mind.

Does he regret kissing her?

Rey sighs, deep and sorrowful. In the movement of her shoulders, a thick strand of hair, loose down her back and over her shoulders, falls over one of her eyes.

The urge to tie it up into her usual, comfortable buns, slams into her mind. She feels so stupid for even leaving it down in the first place.

She is so caught up in her descent into misery that she starts a little when Finn’s weight shakes the bench opposite her.

“Hey- I thought you’d be sleeping still, but then Kay said you came down already- are you alright, peanut?”, he asks, concern streaked across his features.

“All good”, Rey smiles brightly, “I couldn’t sleep so I came down early, sorry that I kept you waiting”.

A frown creases between his eyebrows, unconvinced. He knows her too well to be remotely fooled by her false reassurances.

“How was detention?”, he says warily and busies himself pouring them a fresh round of tea.

Barely before he has finished his sentence, Rey blurts out, “dull. So dull. Like, really dull”.

“Isn’t it always?”, comes Rose’s chirpy voice from over her shoulder. She sinks onto the bench beside her and Finn pulls up a third cup before distributing them to the girls.

“What did Tano have you doing?”, Rose queries as she takes a tiny sip, wincing as it scolds her tongue.

`’Cleaning the trophy room. By hand”, Rey grumbles.

Her friends make the appropriate sympathetic noises.

“That must have taken you all night!”, Rose squeaks.

“She dismissed us at about- “, she starts.

“ _Us?”,_ Finn and Rose ask in unison, their eyes wide.

_Shit._

Rey flinches. She hadn’t been planning on telling them about her… companion.

Too late now, she supposes.

“Erm- yeah, B- Solo was there too, Tano and Snoke agreed we could just do it- the cleaning that is- together”, Rey fumbles out.

“Did you jump him?”, Finn asks.

“ _What?!_ I- erm- _what_?”, she stutters.

Finn stares at her, bewildered at her response to his perfectly reasonable question. “For getting you caught… did you get him back?”, he says slowly.

Rey’s skin flushes hot and she begins to frantically wipe her suddenly uncomfortably sweaty palms on her robes, “oh- no, no, we just cleaned and left. Didn’t say a word to each other”.

Rose is smirking into her tea.

“Probably a good idea not to have taken him on on your own”, Finn mumbles over a mouthful of sliced toast that he has shoved into his face whole, “I heard from Ezra who heard from Asajj that he’s got a screw loose- got kicked out of Ilvermony for nearly _killing_ another student when he lost his temper with them”.

The force with which Rose rolls her eyes is almost audible as she places her cup back down onto the table. “Right, because _Ezra’s_ word- via _Asajj_ of all people- is definitely the most reliable out there”.

“Well it would make sense, wouldn’t it?”, Finn shrugs, “gets kicked out of school and has to come to the only other one that’ll take him. Apparently even _Durmstrang_ rejected him. So, he ends up here. Perks of being the Headmaster’s cousin, I suppose”.

“He’s his nephew”, Rey spills out before she can stop herself.

Finn waves another buttery triangle of toast in the air, “well the fact remains, the guy is dangerous, Ezra reckons they’re gonna throw him in Azkaban if Skywalker can’t keep him under control”.

“I don’t think all that’s true”, the words continue to tumble from Rey’s lips, ignorant to the burning tinge of pink that her freckled cheeks are turning, “he transferred because his mum is here working with The Ministry”.

“Who told you that?”, Finn says slowly, his brows knitted together in the centre of his forehead.

“I, er- I forgot”, Rey lies unconvincingly.

“Finn”, Rose cuts in suddenly, a soft but unusual smile on her lips, “aren’t you meeting Poe at 9?”.

Finn’s features rearrange from confusion to guilt and he offers Rey an apologetic smile. “Yeah… see, I didn’t think you’d be awake until later- and Rose has Gobstones- so I promised Poe I’d help him with- ah- a Divination essay… but it won’t take long… unless you want to come?”.

“I can’t think of anything I’d rather do _less_ than help write an essay for Divination”, Rey grins toothily at him, deadly serious in her rejection of his invitation but also fully aware of how much he secretly doesn’t want her to accept.

Finn breathes a tiny exhale of relief that he and Poe won’t have a third wheel.

“But you know, it _is_ 9.05”, Rey chuckles.

Finn hastily sprints from the Great Hall, a trail of expletives hanging in the air behind him.

⋆ ⋆ ⋆

After waving Rose off to her Saturday morning Gobstones meet, Rey bundles herself up in several warm layers and drags her feet through the grounds toward the lake, her battered copy of _Quidditch Through the Ages_ tucked tightly under her arm.

It is not snowing heavily enough to settle this morning, but a thin sheet of frost caresses the grass and the lone fallen leaves that are scattered across the ground’s pathways. It gives everything around the castle a bright, glittering quality that reminds Rey of the glint of a Golden Snitch. As though there are thousands of them hiding within the trees and whizzing through the air, just in her peripheral vision.

She strolls in a deep daydream, the exhaustion of the previous night paired with her low mood putting her into a state of being totally oblivious to her immediate surroundings. So much so that she does not register that there is someone sitting with their back to her, leant against her favourite reading tree, until she is ten feet away.

His hair is tousled, sent wild by the unforgiving winter wind, with a few thick strands whipping around in its stream. A thick, expensive-looking black coat hugs him tight, its collar pulled up to shield the bare skin of his neck.

Rey stares a hole into the back of his head for a solid thirty seconds before deciding to run in the opposite direction.

She turns away barely an inch before-

“Hello, Rey”, Ben says, not turning to look at her.

Rey freezes, still truthfully contemplating sprinting as far away as she can.

_Don’t give him the satisfaction_ , a voice hisses in her head. Her voice. Trying desperately to be bitter and harsh but only sounding more terrified in the effort.

She huffs in defeat, and slowly steps until she is standing to his side.

He sits with his knees pulled up toward his chest and an ancient-looking book held up resting against his thighs. Even curled into this ball-like shape he is still miles too big to squeeze between Rey’s usual seat tucked between the two curling roots, so instead he sits with his right shoulder leant against the outer side of one of them.

Ben looks up and smiles ever so slightly at her. The breath is snatched from her lungs, but she instinctively balls her hands into fists.

“How did you know it was me?”, she asks in an almost accusatory tone.

He lifts one dark eyebrow at her. “You drag your feet when you’re in a mood”.

“No, I do _not_ ”, she fires back in a shrill voice that is both defiant and a little childish.

She is well aware, in fact, that she does absolutely drag her feet when she is ‘in a mood’, as he calls it. The scuffs along the front of her black school pumps were evidence enough of that, and she can’t help but glance guiltily down at them.

“Also”, she continues as a smugness creeps into Ben’s smile, “you’re in my spot”.

His eyes flit back to the tatty pages of his book. “We can both sit here, Rey, I wouldn’t mind a bit of company”, he says coolly.

The sharp stab of a spiteful protest begins to burn on the tip of Rey’s tongue, but something about his demeanour and his words extinguish it. He is so… calm. And she is too tired to burst that bubble of serenity about him. In fact, she wants to dive headfirst into it.

She warily shuffles around the front of him and lowers herself into her usual spot, snug between the tree’s roots. All that separates her arm from being pressed against Ben’s is the beech’s twisting wooden limb.

Then with a start, she registers the small glass jar resting atop it. Brilliant blue flames roaring inside.

“Is that- “, she begins.

“You, erm- you left it in the Owlery. When you… left. I’ve been meaning to return it to you”, he rushes.

Rey stares mesmerised into the heart of her beautiful Bluebell Flames, oblivious to Ben’s nervous side glances at her.

“I didn’t even notice I’d- “, she whispers dazedly, “how did you keep them lit?”.

A faint flicker of a smile pulls again at Ben’s soft lips. “I didn’t have to. I put them on the cabinet beside my bed, and they held strong this whole time. It really is exceptional magic, Rey”.

She twists her head to her left to look at him and he meets her gaze, still smiling. She can’t help but return it.

“I’m sorry, I should have returned them to you. But I must say they have been put to good use. It can get incredibly cold in the dungeons”; he laughs one breathy exhale and returns to skim the lines of his pages.

He falls silent and peaceful once again. Rey attempts to dive into the pages of _Quidditch Through the Ages but_ ends up staring blankly down at them.

It’s as though they are written in a foreign language. She runs over the small printed shapes again and again but not a single word sinks in. Not while he is so close. With so much unaddressed. Unsaid.

_For Yoda’s sake, just say something to him!_ she wills herself angrily.

But _what?_

_How about that kiss?_

_The temperature may be dropping but the Trophy Room was preeeeetty hot last night, am I right?!_

_Where do we go from here?_

What even was the answer to that? What did she _want_ to happen now? How does she feel about Ben, now that she knows how soft his mouth is, how warm his tongue? Knows that a gentleness exists in him, lying just under the surface.

  
Rey searches deep. She wouldn’t say she particularly _likes_ Ben, even after last night’s… clash.

And yet the thought of his rejection, the picture of him telling her he had made a horrible mistake and they should never discuss it again, makes her chest feel hollow and her eyes sting.

“Do you ever take a day off?”, his voice rumbles beside her.

Her head snaps to look at him and she finds that he is staring intently at her, looking somewhere between amused and teasing.

“What?”, she stammers.

Ben nods in the direction of the book resting in her lap.

Rey glances down, then back to his smirking face, none the wiser about his comment.

“Quidditch”, he simply offers.

“It’s a good book”, she scowls at him.

He chuckles, long and deep. It rumbles out from his chest and Rey swears she can feel it shaking the earth underneath where she sits.

“Well what are _you_ reading, then?”, she shoots at him, still frowning but trying desperately not to let his infectious smile creep onto her face.

He half closes his book to show her the cover, keeping one broad finger wedged between the pages to mark his place.

Rey tilts her head and squints at the pale blue tatty cover, reading the words aloud. “ _The Tales of Beedle the Bard”_ , she says slowly. “Who’s Beedle?”.

His bottom lip drops, and his mouth hangs open, just a fraction. “you’ve never- Beedle the- you’ve never read _The Tales of Beedle the Bard?”,_ he asks.

For a flash of second Rey wonders if she should be embarrassed, but there is no hint of mocking in his voice.

“No… I haven’t. Is it good?”, she asks tentatively.

Ben smiles thoughtfully back down at the cover held in his sprawling hands. “They’re kid’s stories. Childish, really. But my mother used to read them to me when I was young and… I suppose I take comfort in them, now”.

His eyes glaze over as though diving deep into a pool of his happiest memories. Rey watches him intently, taking her time to scan his curious expression. He looks younger, somehow. As though he has become that child he is reminiscing on.

Then in a heartbeat, his face drops and the hollows under his eyes are deep-set and purple once more. His lips press hard together and heavy stress lines wrinkle around his eyes, as though he is in physical pain.

Her fingers twitch. An instinct to reach out and touch him flooding through her every nerve.

“I’ve probably never heard of it because I grew up in- I’m Muggle-born”, she tries to sound casual but there is no mistaking the dip in her chest. Her upbringing is not something she found comfort in discussing. “I’ll have to pick up a copy”, she rushes out.

Ben sniffs and shifts his weight where he sits, looking up and across the lake. Rey follows his eyes and starts a little when she realises that at some point it has begun to snow. Heavily. The morning’s crystal frost is gone, smothered by a thick sheet of white. What little patches of the lake’s surface that had still been rippling water when she arrived are now completely frozen over. At the very edge of the seam between snowy bank and frozen water, a tiny bird pecks curiously at the ice, confused as to why it cannot reach whatever tasty morsel is teasing it on the other side.

Suddenly very aware of the cruel wind that is now streaking through the grounds around them, Rey pulls her coat closer around her body and shivers a little.

Ben abruptly springs to his feet, stretching his arms out above his head and making the tiniest of sounds that sends sparks through Rey’s abdomen. Then he tucks his book under his arm, scoops up the jar of flames in his left hand and holds out his right to her.

She just stares up at him.

“Let’s get you back to the castle, you’re hardly dressed warm enough for a blizzard”, he smirks and wiggles his fingers at her.

Rey reaches up and slides her palm flat against his, wrapping her fingers around the outside edge of it. His pleasantly warm hand envelopes hers entirely and the feeling of the heat against her chilled skin is surprising but instantly welcomed. He yanks her up to her feet and as she finds her balance, she moves to withdraw from his grip.

He tightens his hold. More of a reflex than a refusal.

She tilts her chin down to look at their hands and his eyes follow. Deep worry brings those crinkles around his eyes back into sight as he glares at their locked palms as though waiting for the pain of her ripping them apart.

Rey slowly, but firmly, interlaces her fingers through his.

She doesn’t know why, but some tiny instinct inside of her tells her to, and she agrees.

Instantly, the fear and strain drains from his face. His eyes glow bright and the corner of his mouth twitches.

In sync, and in silence, they twist their backs to the icy lake and begin to wade hand in hand through the crisp snow back toward the castle.

⋆ ⋆ ⋆

Rey hadn’t been sure what she thought, or was hoping, would happen once she and Ben made it back to the castle that afternoon, but him being almost literally dragged back outside by Hux was not on the list. As soon as they had set foot inside the Entrance Hall, the Slytherin Captain had accosted his Seeker and told him they were to head to the Quidditch pitch for ‘harsh weather practise’.

Before he had left, though, he had told her that he’d noticed her change in hairstyle, and that it was _‘nice’_.

He had also tried to hand Rey’s Bluebell Flames back to her, to which she had told him awkwardly that he could _‘keep them. Or just get rid of them. Or whatever’._

“I think I’ll keep them. Thank you, swee- Rey”, he had said before striding after his teammates and leaving Rey swaying on the spot.

It hadn’t taken long for her to find her friends then, and they had settled into a warm corner of the Great Hall with an assortment of sweet treats and games.

By early evening, the snowstorm has roared into a dramatic peak and driven the majority of the Hogwarts students to seek refuge amongst the cosy fires of the castle. Excited rumours swirl around the students; whispers of all outdoor classes being cancelled for the week due to the _perilous conditions._

This news is false, of course. It’s an old classic that does the round every time there is particularly heavy snow or thunder.

When Monday morning rolls around, there is a collective groan throughout the Great Hall when Headmaster Skywalker announces brightly and amusedly over breakfast that yes, unfortunately, classes will resume as normal.

“A little bit of me was clinging to the hope that it would really come true this time”, Finn sighs as his shoulders slump.

Rose shakes her head minutely, “how many times in our years here has _any_ class been cancelled? Besides, it’s just a bit of snow, Chewie has had the paths salted and clear for weeks already”.

“Sometimes I wish he weren’t so organised”, Rey murmurs as she shovels a fresh heap of baked beans into her mouth and begins to happily chew.

Rose is still chuckling at her friends misplaced disappointment as squawks and hoots begin to circle above their heads.

The post owls have begun to swoop through an opening high in the corner of the hall. One by one they gracefully skim along the heads dotting the benches of the house tables, before dropping their charges into the expectant laps and outstretched hands of their owners.

Without looking up from his porridge, Poe effortlessly catches a rolled-up copy of The Daily Prophet mid-air, dropped by his owl Beebee some fifteen feet above them.

“Can I borrow- “, Rey begins to say before she is cut short by a small rectangular parcel landing with a heavy _thud_ on her plate, splattering a little tomato sauce onto the polished wood table.

She scoops up the package, wiping it clean on a discarded napkin before holding it out toward Rose, sat opposite her, and mumbling that it must be for her and something about the bird having shit aim.

Rose doesn’t take it from her. Instead, she cocks her head and squints at it, reading the recipient’s name scrawled in silvery ink.

  
“Rey it’s- it’s for you”, she beams.

Rey pulls the item back and holds it out in front of her, staring at it. It’s wrapped perfectly in thin brown paper, held in place by a green satin bow. There on its surface in swirling letters…

_Rey Niemand_

Her eyes glare wide at the parcel as though it may explode at any given moment. She has only ever received mail during the holidays when her friends wrote to her from home. She always opted to stay at the castle, rather than return to Plutt, insisting to her friends every time that it was just because she ‘couldn’t be bothered to pack’ or ‘the Christmas dinner is better here’. Never admitting that it’s because if she ever sees that man again in the next millennium, it would be too soon.

Rey tugs gently at one side of the beautiful, smooth ribbon and it comes loose, freeing the crisp paper to fall apart at the joint also.

Sat resting between the layers of the wrapping is a small, pale blue book. An illustrative tree stump decorates its cover, resting underneath the heavy block print of its title.

_The Tales of Beedle the Bard_.

Her head whips round to the direction of the Slytherin table. She doesn’t have to look for him, already having become subconsciously aware of his presence the second he entered the same room as her.

Ben doesn’t shift his focus from the newspaper clutched in his hands, but there is a wide, content smile warming his boyish face.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

HP References

[The Tales of Beedle the Bard](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/The_Tales_of_Beedle_the_Bard)

[Durmstrang](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Durmstrang_Institute)

[Azkaban](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Azkaban)

Star Wars References

[Asajj Ventress](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Asajj_Ventress)

‘Beebee’ the owl is inspired by [BB-8](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/BB-8) :)


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! I am so sorry that I'm a day late with this update. I have had the craziest week at work and fell behind on writing... but I'm hoping it's worth the wait for you all!
> 
> I've also upped the chapter count because I have so many more ideas to explore, I hope that's okay with you guys :)

Winter well and truly descends on Hogwarts Castle.

The entire landscape becomes a perfect, picturesque scene. The peaks of the surrounding hills that conceal the majority of the old stone building and turrets are dusted white, with not a single other colour peeking through the heavy blanket.

Come early December, talk of Christmas begins to rumble through the castle’s inhabitants.

As does the Yule Ball.

Rey had never really cared for the school’s annual formal dance. It was fun, sure, but she found the pandemonium that came with it so alien and melodramatic. For the next few weeks, it would be all that anyone wishes to discuss. There would be stresses about not being asked as a date, anxieties about what to wear, worries about stuff that Rey honestly did not see the point in worrying over.

That is, until the thought of Ben asking her to go with him crosses her mind.

_Then_ the ball is almost all she can think about.

It frustrates her to no end, that she is focussing so much of her spare brain power to a stupid ball that she has had little to no investment in before. She tells herself it’s just a dance. An excuse to dress up fancy, sneak some firewhiskey in the girl’s bathroom and let loose. It really is _not_ that big of a deal.

She is telling herself this for approximately the 57th time over a late-night study session with the girls, when as though reading her mind, Kaydel brings it up.

“Eurgh, I’m so bored of reading about boring Snargaluff plants”, she groans as she slams her thick book closed. “Serious talk for a second. When are we going to go dress hunting?”.

Jannah and Rose welcome the opportunity to look up from their hefty books for a short while, and Jannah folds her hands neatly on top of the pages as if entering an important business meeting.

“How about next weekend?”, she offers brightly.

“That’s probably a good idea”, Rose chimes in, “get in before all the best ones are snapped up. Have any of you given any thought as to who you might go with?”, she then adds with a cheeky melody in her voice.

“I’m waiting for Jacen to ask me”, Kaydel grins, and her cheeks turn a little pink. “Did Poe ask Finn yet?!”.

Rose nods frantically, beaming wide and flashing her teeth at them, “he’s going to ask him tonight!”.

“Thank Yoda for that”, Jannah giggles, “it’s been bloody exhausting having to pretend it isn’t obvious what they’ve been up to since the start of term”.

The girls all laugh heartily and are met by a hissed _shush_ from the Hogwarts librarian, Madame Maz Kanata.

Kaydel leans across the table and the other girls follow suit.

“I heard Ezra Bridger saying that he’s going to ask you”, she whispers to Rey.

Rey cocks a sceptical eyebrow at her friend. “Ezra and I are just mates”, she says.

“Wake up, Rey, Ezra has had a _huge_ crush on you since third year!”, Jannah breathes through laughter.

She groans and buries her face in her palms.

“Oh, but he’s _nice!”_ , Jannah says reassuringly.

“Sure, but not… like _that”,_ Rey grumbles, “plus I thought Sabine liked him. They’d be great together!”.

“She does”, Rose adds, “in fact she told me at practise that _she’s_ going to ask _him_ ”.

A little relief sweeps through her.

“Who do you want to go with then?”, Kaydel prods at her, “in six years you’ve never once shown any interest in anyone here! You’ve got to go with _someone_ , it’s our last Yule Ball!”.

Rey shrugs, “I’ll go with you guys, who says I need a date?”.

Kaydel shakes her head and exhales slowly through her nose. Jannah throws her hand over her mouth to stifle another loud giggle.

“What about Solo?”, Rose says casually.

A little _too_ casually. She sits with a blank look on her face, suddenly very interested in inspecting her own nails.

Rey’s mouth goes unexplainably dry.

“I, er- “, she stammers.

Heat flushes through her face and she begins to pray to some high power that she is not blushing.

“He’s kind of _intense,_ though _,_ isn’t he?”, Kaydel muses, “I can’t see him being any fun”.

“I don’t know”, sings Rose, “I think he’s kind of handsome. What do _you_ think, Rey?”, she smiles at her. Her eyes crinkling into a strange, almost teasing expression.

The girls all go silent and look expectantly at Rey, who feels like she might throw up.

“Erm- he’s… very… tall?”, she says slowly, more of a question than a statement.

“ _Tall?!”_ Jannah scoffs loudly and is met by another hiss from the librarian’s desk.

“Mmhmm”, Rey mumbles and shoves her nose into the depths of the book. She can’t even remember what it’s about, but she hopes her feigned concentration is enough to divert her friend’s attention from her.

It is.

But not enough to divert them from the subject of Ben.

“I heard that he’s… you know… _unhinged…”,_ Jannah says thoughtfully. “Got kicked out of Ilvermony”.

“Bollocks”, Rey blurts out.

Kaydel and Jannah’s eyes dart to Rey’s scowl, which she abruptly tries to rearrange to something between indifference and calm.

Rose scans the pages of her book but smiles a little.

Her two fellow Gryffindor’s don’t say a word, just look at her in a way that invites her to expand on her outburst.

“He transferred because his mum is the Pre- presently working with the Ministry on something”, she shrugs and is glad that she caught herself. Something inside of her tells her that Ben wouldn’t want the knowledge of his mother’s _position_ to be circulated around the school.

“And who told you that?”, Jannah asks curiously, but with not a single trace of contempt in her tone.

“He did”, Rey retorts calmly, “we had detention together and we got chatting”. She shrugs again but more accentuated this time so that they can’t miss the gesture.

“I should’ve known any gossip that Asajj has would be utter shit”, Jannah chuckles and she shakes her head lightheartedly.

⋆ ⋆ ⋆

It takes a matter of a handful of minutes for the four girls to move back on to the subject of ball gown shopping. When it reaches a quarter past midnight, Rey realises she has read a mere three pages of the book before her. Which turns out to be a Potions book.

No wonder she would rather talk dances for once.

Even Maz is bored rigid, having fallen sound asleep at her desk with her milk bottle glasses askew and her head resting atop a stack of dusty books.

After a wide yawn from Kaydel, she, Jannah and Rose decide to head to bed. Rey tells them brightly that she is going to cram a little more studying in ahead of Snoke’s upcoming class, which she suspects might hold a surprise mock test in store. She can’t afford to give him any excuse to boot her from his course.

They all give her affectionate squeezes and pats on the shoulder as they file sleepily out of the library.

Then Rey is left with only the musty books for company.

“Study time”, she says quietly.

But another half hour passes, and she realises she has not absorbed a single word of the chapter on bezoars.

She groggily rubs her eyes until they are a little sore and rests her face in her palms for a small moment of rest. Instantly her head feels heavy and unbalanced, like it could roll right off and across the mahogany table.

“Okay, _sleep_ time”, she mumbles to herself and forces herself to her feet, scooping the large volume up with the movement.

Rey trudges heavily down a couple of the towering aisles of bookcases which house thousands, possibly tens of thousands of books on every subject you can dream of. She rounds a corner, letting her shoulder drag along the wood as if she is incapable of full supporting her own weight.

She doesn’t even start when she notices that Ben is sat in a narrow aisle, hunched over with his back to her by a window, his head leant in one huge hand and his fingers splayed through his hair.

Because of _course_ he is.

She thinks to herself that he seems to just appear out of thin air. From out of the walls. Just to sit and look broody at unsuspecting moments.

Like the world’s shittest ghost.

Rey laughs a small chuckle from her nose.

Ben pulls out a chair at the table beside him, not looking up at her once. She sinks heavily into it, sighing as she takes the weight off her feet.

“How long have you been sitting here?”, she cringes.

“Long enough. Thank you”, he mumbles.

“For what?”, Rey responds, confusion edging her voice.

He leans back and runs one hand through his tangled and scruffy hair, before throwing that arm over the back of the chair. His other hand fiddles idly with the bookmark ribbon sticking out from between the heavy pages of the book he had been pouring over. He runs the frayed edges back and forth along the pad of his thumb. To say he looks exhausted doesn’t do justice to the depth of the bags under his eyes or the dull, misty quality about them.

Eventually he says, “for standing up for me”, but he still doesn’t look at her.

“Oh- “, Rey blinks and stares into her lap, focussing intently on the fabric of her cosiest black leggings that she had thrown on for studying, “I wasn’t- I just didn’t want stupid rumours being spread around the place”.

A hint of a smile plays on his lips and a tiny bit of life returns to his eyes. “Well, I appreciate it”, he says before adding, “so what’s wrong with Bridger, exactly?”, and his smile widens into an undeniable smirk.

Rey throws her head back and groans at the ceiling, a gesture met by a little chuckle from beside her. “Nothing, I just don’t want to give him the wrong idea about anything”, she sighs.

“Well who would you _like_ to go with?”, he asks flatly.

_You_ , she thinks.

“I- I don’t know”, is what she says, though.

Ben’s lips part as if about to say something and something about his anxious expression makes her heart _leap_ and stomach lurch.

He takes a deep breath in and frowns, before saying, “Hux is considering asking Tico”.

Simultaneously, Rey’s gut sinks in disappointment and her mouth falls agape in utter shock.

“You’re winding me up”, she says, and he shakes his head in denial, “Hux is going to ask _Rose?!”_

Ben grins lopsidedly and his chest shakes in a silent laugh, “he said he likes her… _sassy mouth_ , I think were his precise words”.

“Wow”, Rey mouths.

He doesn’t respond and she eyes him cautiously for a short while before deciding to bite the bullet. “Has anyone asked you?”, she questions, trying to sound nonchalant. It’s nowhere near on the level of Rose’s earlier subtlety when grilling her.

“Yes. Asajj did”. Any trace of humour vanishes from his face and he is scowling again.

Rey’s stomach sinks even lower, somewhere into her knees.

“Asajj?”, is all she can manage to mumble.

“She’s in my house. But I’ve only ever really spoken to her once, at Halloween. She asked me yesterday- rather aggressively, actually. She didn’t take rejection well”, he groans.

“Halloween… the party”, Rey whispers, putting a name to a beautiful, chiselled face. Clad in a figure hugging catsuit and fluttering her eyelashes at him. “The girl you were… I saw you talking to her at Kay’s party. I thought it looked like you were getting on, I mean… you left with her”.

Ben frowns a little, “I didn’t leave with her. We spoke for a matter of minutes and in all honesty, I found her to be quite intolerable. I left alone”. 

A sudden burst of alertness buzzes unwelcomely all over Rey’s skin and she is suddenly uncomfortable under his gaze. She bounces to her feet, dragging her neglected Potions book into her arms. Then she glides a few feet away from him towards the bookcase with an expectant gap in its ranks, some height above her head. The small ladder that she had used to retrieve it earlier has been swiped elsewhere, so she stretches upward, leans up onto her tiptoes and tries to clumsily push the heavy book into its home with the very tips of her fingertips.

As it begins to slip from her grasp and she braces for it to come hurtling back down to earth, toward her face, another hand shoots over her head and catches it mid-air.

She spins quickly on the spot to face him before he has even finished sliding it into place. Her back is pressed flush against the bookcase behind her, with Ben’s chest so close to her that she need only lean forward a few inches to nestle her face against it. An urge that she heavily considers for a second.

Ben keeps one arm clutching to the edge of the shelf and the other floating just beside her waist.

Boxing her in.

“Were you _jealous?”_ , he snickers.

“What?”, she utters and can’t force herself to stop flicking her gaze to his lips. So plush. So tempting.

“Of Asajj. At the party. Were you jealous?”, he asks a little more seriously now.

She doesn’t answer. But drags her eyes up his features to look him directly in his.

It’s all the answer he needs.

“Oh, _Rey”_ , he breathes.

Then without warning, his hands are weaved tightly through her hair and his lips are slamming into hers.

Ben leans further into her, pressing his frame so close against hers that she feels like the air might be pushed from her lungs entirely.

If she doesn’t first burn up from the inferno that is once more spreading through her veins.

His kiss is _ferocious_ , wild, savage. Like he is trying to tell her something through it.

He wastes no time in licking needily at her lips until she parts them for him and then his tongue is rolling hungrily against hers.

She responds instantly, grabbing fistfuls of his shirt and clinging to it for dear life, as though she may fall off the face of the earth if she dares to let go. She scrapes her teeth softly against his bottom lip and he _moans_ , so deep that she feels it rumble through her chest.

Rey smiles faintly and playfully nibbles a little harder.

“Brat”, he jibes, pausing his assault on her lips for the tiniest of moments to fire the word at her.

Then she is off the floor. Ben’s hands tucked firmly around her buttocks as he lifts her to his level. Instinctively, she wraps her legs around his waist and feels the hardness there pressed tight between them. A startled gasp escapes her lips.

It rubs softly against the thick wetness that is slowly beginning to coat her underwear, and some deep urge inside of her takes over and she begins to writhe against him.

Scorching heat spreads through her legs almost straight away as she wiggles uncoordinatedly, determined to chase that friction that is helping soothe the screaming sensation that is rising in the pit of her stomach.

It is altogether too much and not enough.

Ben carries her back toward the window and places her gently to sit atop the table. She doesn’t release her the vice of her legs around him.

He breaks away from her now swollen, slightly aching lips and begins to dot kisses from her collarbone to her neck, working his way up and down, then back up, then back down, over and over.

  
It drives her to the brink of collapse. She needs more.

She clenches her thighs tighter around his body in an effort to gain more of that contact that she so desperately _needs_. He retaliates by nibbling hard at the spot just below her ear, just enough for it to be pleasant while also hurting a little. It sends goosebumps shivering down her spine. He soothes the mark left there by sucking and licking the tender skin.

Rey _whines_ loudly at the sensation, and he clamps a hand over her mouth.

Ben draws up so that their noses are very almost touching, not moving his hand a fraction.

“Be a good girl, Rey”, he purrs, “you don’t want to wake up Maz, do you?”

She begins to shake her head, but flinches and _squeaks_ when he slides his free hand down between their bodies and brushes his fingers against the thin layer of material between her thighs.

He runs his fingers upward and downward in a touch so light it is barely there, but somehow it makes Rey’s nerve endings _scream_.

“So… were you jealous, little pumpkin?”, he asks teasingly.

All she can do is nod as she tries to hold herself together.

Ben dusts one kiss on her forehead, then on the tip of nose, then on her lips.

“Well then I suppose I’ll have to show you why there’s no need to be”, he murmurs as he descends into another kiss.

This time he is less brutal, deeper, more passionate. His lips are slow but heavy.

His hot tongue laps a steady rhythm against hers. A speed that he matches with the stroke of his fingers on her clit.

She wills, stronger than she has ever willed anything in her life, for the bastard leggings between his skin and hers to vanish.

Rey laces her hands through his hair and presses her face so hard into his that her moans are stifled inside his mouth. He returns each of them with a satisfied one of his own.

She breaks the connection only to gasp for air in the small seconds that she is able to surface between the tidal waves of his devouring kisses.

He quickens the pace of both his lips and his expert fingers, and it is _seconds_ before the fire inside of her builds to an unbearable peak, and she is hanging on the very edge.

She pulls away slightly from his lips and whimpers.

_“Ben”._

He brushes a few stray, sweaty hairs from her face and presses his wet lips close to her ear.

“Come for me, sweetheart”, he whispers, and adds the tiniest bit of extra pressure behind his motions.

Rey cascades over the edge as she lets go, her screams hitching in the back of her throat as she tries desperately not to make any sound. It only adds to the intensity of her orgasm, having to try and control it. Every fibre of her _sings_ as warm lightning shoots through her legs and creeps up her stomach, through her chest and into her head, creating a haze of blissful white noise that fills her ears.

Ben continues to kiss her, gradually slowing as she floats back down to Earth from whatever wonderous place he just sent her.

The muscles in her thighs begin to twitch tiredly as she loosens her grip around his waist.

Ben moves away from her bruised lips to scatter soothing kisses along her jaw. Then he pulls her face against his chest, cradling her head and resting his warm cheek against the top of it. He rubs slow circles on her back.

Rey wiggles on her perch atop the table, returning some of the feeling to her bum. She wraps her arms tightly around Ben’s torso, basking in the scent of his shirt and gradually levelling out her breathing to a normal pace.

Some time later, she wonders to herself how long they have been stood like that, in a dark aisle of the library, holding each other.

Then she becomes aware that she is swaying.

No.

Moving?

And Ben isn’t hugging her anymore but seems to have his arms tucked behind her knees and against her shoulder blades.

She stirs and opens her eyelids, heavy as lead.

Her head is still resting against his chest, but when she glances to her side, she sees that bleary, unfocussed portraits are moving past her.

Ben is carrying her.

“Ben?”, she mumbles groggily.

“It’s okay, we’re nearly there”, he says gently.

She decides she is content with whatever is happening and nestles her cheek back against the warmth of his chest.

After what she could swear is milliseconds, his voice sounds in her ear again. “Rey, we’re here, but erm- she won’t let me in, obviously”.

Rey opens her eyes again, a little clearer now, and sees that they stand before the Fat Lady’s portrait. She sits in her place, arms folded expectantly.

“Password?”, she says impatiently.

“Oh”, Rey groans, realisation dawning on her.

Ben had carried her back to Gryffindor Tower.

She doesn’t even remember nodding off, sat upright on the table with her weight propped up against his giant build.

Carefully, Ben lowers her to her feet.

“Wattlebird”, she grumbles, and the portrait swings forward to reveal the space in the wall behind it.

Rey looks up into Ben’s face and flashes him a sleepy smile. He reaches a hand up and traces his thumb along her lower lip, before bending down to leave a tender kiss there.

“Goodnight, sweetheart”, he hums, as she clumsily climbs through the hole, a small part of her already mourning his presence.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

HP References

[Yule Ball](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Yule_Ball)

[Hogwarts Library](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Hogwarts_Library)

[Bezoar](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Bezoar)

Star Wars References

[Maz Kanata](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Maz_Kanata)

[Asajj Ventress](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Asajj_Ventress)


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Friday people! :) thank you as always for your time in reading this, and for all your lovely comments.

“ _Wow,_ Kay, you look bloody _gorgeous!”,_ Jannah squeals as Kaydel strikes a confident pose in front of her friends. She turns her back on where Rey, Rose and Jannah sit on a purple velvet sofa to eye herself in the mirrors that line the walls of the Gladrags Wizardwear changing room.

She turns her slender frame this way and that as she admires the midnight blue fabric that clings to her every curve. Thousands of minuscule gemstones gleam as the light bounces off them and cast white shards that streak up every surface around her.

Rey thinks that she looks like starlight.

“I think this is the one!”, Kaydel grins excitedly and is met by congruent nods from her audience.

After trying on no less than 14 different dresses, Jannah settles on a dark emerald green number with a corset bodice that pinches in tightly at the waist before flaring into layers upon layers of chiffon skirt that move like smoke when she shifts even the tiniest fraction.

Rose has a more straightforward approach, sticking with the first things she tries on; a strapless pastel pink dress that skims the floor. The neckline is a sweetheart cut with delicate embroidered patterns in a colour just a tiny shade lighter than the rest of the fabric. It is simple, yet incredibly elegant, and perfectly Rose in every way.

Rey awkwardly tries on a number of dresses that Kaydel goes on to describe as ‘basic’ and presents herself to her friends for critique. She stands uncomfortably before them with her arms hunched in front of her body as though trying to hide her indecency. Rose and Jannah encourage her to ‘just go with whatever you feel comfy in’, but Kaydel is having none of that. She pulls a hanger off of a rack and shoves it into Rey’s arms.

“This is it, _trust me!”,_ she squeaks.

Rey retreats behind the changing room curtain and reluctantly throws on the suggested garment, mumbling curses on this entire wretched ball.

When she steps back out, her friends all let out a collective gasp.

“No good?”, Rey asks dejectedly.

“No good?!”, Jannah laughs, “take a look at yourself!”.

Slowly, as if bracing for some invisible blow, Rey turns to face the mirror.

The dress that Kaydel has picked out is a deep plum purple, that ombrés into a brilliant pink toward the hem, which splays out on the floor around her feet. The bodice crosses over her torso and around into a halter neck shape, revealing a considerable amount of cleavage and small cutouts to reveal the bare skin of her waist. It fits perfectly, feeling like a second skin around her.

This dress is _sexy_.

Way too sexy for her.

_But then again,_ Rey thinks, _I do look bloody good in it_.

She oddly finds herself thinking of Ben. Specifically of Ben seeing her in _this_ dress. And she can’t help but allow a tiny smile to tug at her lips.

“Let us see properly!”, Kaydel pleads.

Rey obliges, facing her friends and feeling instantly self-conscious again. They are all beaming at her. Kaydel looks like a proud mum that might burst into hysterical tears at any given second.

“You look really beautiful, Rey”, Rose smiles gently, as though she senses her friend’s unease.

“Thanks, Rosey”, she smiles back thankfully, looking down at herself to admire the rich colours of the fabric.

Her mind drifts to Ben again, and she is abruptly reminded of a memory that is clouded in exhaustion.

_Hux._

“So… has anyone asked you to be their date yet?”, she asks Rose with a hint of a smirk.

“No”, Rose says, narrowing her eyes warily, “why? Are you asking? Sorry, Niemand, but I don’t date Seekers”.

“You wish”, Rey chuckles, “I heard a rumour that your best friend _Armitage_ was thinking of asking”.

Rose’s face instantly cracks into one of the widest smiles that Rey has ever seen from her friend.

“Oh, great, well that saves me having to ask him!”, she says brightly.

“I- er- oh!”, is all Rey can say by way of response. This is the total opposite reaction that she was expecting.

Kaydel does the speaking for her, though. “ _Armitage Hux?!”,_ she yells in disbelief, “but he’s awful!”

“He’s actually not”, Rose shrugs, “we’ve spoken a few times recently. Mostly he stutters incoherently at me and then scampers away”.

She fades away for a short moment as if reminiscing fondly on something, or someone, then adds cheerily, “He’s cute. I like him”.

“If you say so”, Kaydel sighs.

⋆ ⋆ ⋆

The girls make their purchases and venture out into the cold. A light sprinkling of snow drops from the sky which makes navigating the heavy sheet that blankets Hogsmeade just that little bit easier.

They make their way through the narrow streets of the village, having elected to do a little Christmas shopping while they are here.

Their first stop, as always, is Honeyduke’s, so that Rey can stuff her pockets with sweet treats to keep her fuelled for the trip back to school. She also whisks several of Finn’s favourites into her arms; Chocolate Frogs, Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans and Fizzing Whizzbees. It was a tradition between the two of them that they both compiled a gift box of each other’s most loved sweets as their present to each other. Of course, they were never together on Christmas day as Finn always returned home to his adopted parents for the holidays, but he _always_ resists tucking into them over the break. He waits until the start of term and together, he and Rey devour the entire lot while catching up about their respective downtime.

The next stop on their meandering journey is Scrivenshaft’s Quill Shop, where Rey sneakily buys a beautiful eagle-feather quill for Rose that she had seen her eyeing lovingly during their last trip to Hogsmeade.

Rey had managed to make stealthy purchases for the rest of her friends in Gladrags Wizardwear while they fawned over the glamorous dresses. Singing novelty socks for Kaydel and Jannah, and a new scarf for Poe that is adorned with tiny Quaffles. As with Finn, she and Poe had their own tradition of always purchasing Quidditch orientated gifts for one another.

Feeling very pleased with herself for completing the entirety of her Christmas shopping in one hit, Rey chews on a handful of Bertie Bott’s beans; an act that Rose chastises her for as she ‘really ought to take the time to experience every flavour’, as she drags the group into Dervish and Banges book shop.

As Rose peruses the countless shelves in the tiny, quaint shop, Rey idly wanders between the bookcases. She dusts her fingers lightly along the spines of the books, taking the time to skim each of their titles and absorb the names of those who wrote them.

_I wonder if Ben would like any of these_ , she thinks.

She comes to the end of a long aisle and hovers at its corner, deep in thought.

_Should_ she get a present for Ben?

Would that be weird?

Are they at that ‘ _level_ ’?

What message would he get from it?

Was she even trying to send a message or just do something kind?

Where are they even currently at? Friends? Close friends?

She tries to shake the torrent of thoughts loose. Her distraction comes only when Rose’s cheery face bounces into her view, a wide smile on her face.

“Ready?” she chimes, a weighty brown bag of fresh books hanging over her arm, “Kay and Jannah are already outside”.

They reunite with the other half of their group and all agree that they should celebrate a successful outing with a Butterbeer or two before making the trek back to the castle. All four shuffle into The Three Broomsticks and Rose, Kaydel and Jannah slink off to nab a table while Rey declares that the first round is on her. She sidles up to the bar and leans patiently against it while the landlord, Mister Calrissian, serves a gaggle of fifth years beside her.

“Four butterbeers please, Lando”, Rey smiles toothily at him when he eventually gets to her. She is met by a silent wink in return as he gets to work pouring the drinks.

“Hi, Rey”, a confident voice sounds somewhere to her right.

Rey turns her head to be met by the face of Ezra Bridger smiling brightly at her.

“Hey Ezra!”, she replies, trying to sound as enthusiastic as possible, but her stomach is churning. She knows what is about to happen.

“How’s erm- how’s practise going?”, he asks coolly.

“It’s going well. How about you?”, she responds.

_Just get it over with, please_ , she screams internally.

“Yeah, fine”, he says distractedly and begins to fiddle with a loose thread on his jumper sleeve, “hey- erm- are you going to the Yule Ball?”.

“Sure”, Rey says uncommittedly.

“Cool!”, he exclaims, “well do you maybe want to maybe go with me?”. He looks shy. Rey had never once seen Ezra Bridger look _shy_. It makes her feel even worse about her impending shutdown.

“Oh, the thing is, Ezra- thank you- but I don’t really see you like- it would just be as friends”, she stammers and winces instantly at her own failure to pre-prepare a speech for this precise eventuality.

But he smiles, clearly trying to stifle a laugh at her panic. Relief sweeps through Rey’s core as she realises that their friendship was never on the line over this tiny blip. And of course, it wasn’t, Ezra is impulsive, hot-tempered even, but he values his friendships too much to let something like this impede them.

Rey realises that she has found a new depth of respect and affection for the Slytherin boy.

“You should ask Sabine!”, she says a little louder than intended.

Ezra perks up as if this thought hadn’t occurred to him. “Do you think so? She is pretty great, isn’t she?”

Rey nods frantically, “she’s the greatest! I think you’d be great together”.

He sighs a deep, resolved breath and nods his head once as a glint flashes across his brilliant blue eyes. “Well, if you’ll excuse me, Rey, I’ve got to see a girl about a ball”.

Rey doesn’t say a word but pats him encouragingly on the arm as he passes her and barrels out of the pub door into the white beyond.

“That was only a little bit awkward. Well done”, a deep voice rumbles behind her.

She sighs and turns to face Ben.

“Are you following me? Why do you always appear at the most inconvenient times?”, she jibes and cocks an eyebrow at him.

“Inconvenient… noted. I will be sure to study in my dormitory instead of the library from now on”, he smirks mischievously at her.

Rey scowls at him. “Did I at least handle it well?”, she whines.

“You were perfect- but do you really want to discuss that here?”, he looks around them worriedly.

“I meant Ezra you bloody pervert!”, Rey scoffs.

He laughs awkwardly and runs a hand through his hair, flattening out the strands that have been knocked loose from his frantic scanning for prying ears. “Ah- you were fine- let him down very gently”.

Despite the small smirk that still plays on the corner of his lips, Rey can tell he is trying to genuinely reassure her, and she has to admit it does instantly put her at ease. Her shoulders sink and she lets out a long, heavy exhale.

“I’d better- “, she utters as she scoops up the tankards of butterbeer from the bar.

She goes to move past Ben, but he doesn’t budge. He stands directly between her and the route to her friends, rooted into the spot. He stares directly at her face, his brows furrowed as though he’s in pain.

“Ben?”, she whispers, taken aback by his sudden change in energy.

“I- okay, see you later”, he groans and scampers to the table where Hux and Phasma wait expectantly for him. When he takes his seat, Phasma clasps him mockingly around the back of the head, and Hux buries his head into his palms in a look of exasperation.

Rey shakes her head at the strangeness of this sight but opts to brush it off before keeping the tasty butterbeers in her hands from her friends any longer. She carries them carefully to the low corner where the girls sit whispering to one another.

When she sinks into an armchair beside Kaydel and begins to take a deep swig of her drink, a flurry of blonde hair whips to look at her.

“So?”, she hisses.

Rey stops mid-sip to stare alarmed at Kaydel. “So what?”, she murmurs.

“What did you say? To Ezra?!”, she asks impatiently.

“I told him to ask Sabine”, Rey responds, her voice cheerful and level.

Kaydel rolls her eye and mutters some incomprehensible string of swear words.

“And what did Ben want?”, Rose asks.

“To poke fun at my… situation”, Rey complains.

She glances tentatively at the Slytherin’s table. Ben and Hux sit staring into their drinks while Phasma gives them what looks like a frustrated lecture. They look like two kids being told off by their mother. Rey tilts her head as if this will give her some sort of advanced hearing.

Phasma looks up at this exact moment and meets Rey’s gaze. The Chaser offers a curious sort of smile, her eyes squinted, and winks.

Rey smiles back and dives back into the conversation happening at her own table. Kaydel is detailing how she intends to do her hair for the ball and laying down a schedule for getting ready.

They lose themselves in chatter, predominantly about the dance but with small smatterings of Christmas, exams, how much they loathe Snoke.

Rey is unsure how much time passes, but they make their way through four rounds of butterbeers while putting the world to rights.

Their cosy bubble is suddenly burst by the loud clearing of a throat.

All four girls swing their heads to look in the direction of the sound and are all equally surprised to find Armitage Hux standing by their table, his arms tucked behind his back and head bowed low.

“I was wondering if I might speak with Miss Tico”, he says firmly but with the tiniest shake in his voice that gives him away.

Rose jumps to her feet almost instantly, already with one arm through her coat sleeves. “Sure! Walk me back to the castle?”, she sings, more of an instruction than a question.

Hux nods once, and the two glide out of the door, Rose looking up at him and yammering as the thick wood swings shut behind them.

The three remaining girls stare after them.

Jannah suggests that they wait ten minutes to give them a head start and some privacy before they follow suit, bundling themselves back up in their warm coats and making a move for the exit.

They get about ten feet up the snow drowned streets before hurried shuffling footsteps have them spinning on the spot.

Before them stands Ben, hunched over a little and panting to catch his breath.

“I- ah- I- Rey”, he heaves between gulps of icy air.

“We’ll see you later, Rey!”, Kaydel half shouts half squeaks, before looping her arm through Jannah’s and marching briskly in the direction leading back to the castle. They walk away with their heads ducked close, whispering erratically and shooting quick glances back over their shoulders, before their silhouettes are swallowed by an ocean of white.

Rey watches them vanish suspiciously, utterly oblivious to their abrupt abandonment, then turns to look at Ben.

His hair is dishevelled after his rush to catch them up, and his ears poke out from between a few displaced locks. Rey can’t help but smile when she notices this, and in response, they flush a hot pink. He shuffles uncomfortably on the spot.

“Hi”, he murmurs.

“Hi”, she answers with a wide, toothy smile. “What’s up?”.

He shifts his weight again and moves his lips open and shut a few times as if about to say something. But no sound leaves his mouth.

“Shall we walk?”, Rey offers, the cold beginning to set into her bones with every second they are stood still.

Ben nods once, and together they begin to battle their way through the ankle-deep snow.

As they edge closer to the castle, Ben wordlessly reaches out and laces his fingers through hers. His hands are surprisingly warm, if not actually a little clammy.

“So- “, he breaks the silence between them, clearing his throat, “how is- erm- the weather- the weather is taking a turn, isn’t it? Does it usually snow this much?”.

Rey is utterly dumbfounded. Did he chase her halfway back to Hogwarts to talk about the _weather?_

“Er- sure… this is pretty standard for this time of year”, she says calmly.

He must pick up on her bewilderment, because he flinches, giving a tiny reactive squeeze of her hand.

“Did you have fun? With your friends? Today? In Hogsmeade?”, he asks in a punchy, unrhythmic fashion.

  
“Mmhmm”, she hums, “we got some Christmas shopping done, and we all found dresses for the ball. Kay made me try on about 300 dresses. That isn’t even an exaggeration”, she groans.

He chuckles lightly and fires a barrage of mundane questions her way during their entire journey back to the castle. Rey feels a little piece of her spirits fade away with every question that doesn’t turn out to be the only one she really wants him to ask.

They file into the eerily quiet Entrance Hall and both give a little shiver as if physically shaking the cold off of their clothes. Ben hovers for a second, his eyes staring intensely at Rey’s shoes. He wears an expression somewhere between frustration and anxiety. In all honestly, he looks like he might throw up, or pass out. She isn’t sure which might come first.

“Ben?”, she whispers, as if anything more than her gentlest tone might scare him away.

His gaze darts to her face but he doesn’t respond.

“I would say yes, you know”, she keeps her voice hushed and delicate.

He considers her for a moment and the worry lines fade from around his eyes.

“You would?”, he utters, an undeniable tinge of scepticism in his manner.

“Yes”, she says firmly.

Almost instantly he blurts out the words, “Rey would you like to go to the Yule Ball with- “, but she doesn’t let him finish.

Rey sways forward and upward onto her tiptoes and kisses him. She is purposefully gentle, her lips brushing softly against his and her hand coming up to caress his cheek.

He doesn’t reach out to touch her, but she can feel the faintest of smiles on his face.

Her balance falters a little and she drops back down to ground level, grinning up at him.

“Is that- “, he starts.

“That’s a yes, you big idiot”, she laughs wholeheartedly.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Rey’s dress is based on [this.](https://twitter.com/torzzx/status/1244745027496140800)

HP References

[Gladrags Wizardwear](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Gladrags_Wizardwear)

[Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Bertie_Bott%27s_Every_Flavour_Beans)

Star Wars References

I don’t know why the image of Lando running the Three Broomsticks made me giggle so much but here we are :)


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Friday everyone!
> 
> I intended for this chapter to be a lot shorter and to go a lot further than this, but I got so caught up just writing our favourite dorks having fun. I contemplated making this a super long instalment but I want to give myself the time to really focus on what I have planned next, so it's become a bit of a two-parter. Rest assured, the night isn't over yet. 
> 
> As always, thank you so much for reading and for your kind words. It's been a really rough year, as I'm sure it has for a lot of you too, and what started off as a little project to keep me entertained during lockdown and see if I even had the ability to write an enjoyable story has turned into something that is bringing me so much happiness and a much needed creative outlet. So thank you for sticking with it, it's always the highlight of my week getting to share with you.
> 
> Sorry for getting emo on you x

Rey is finding her first experience with lipstick to be… challenging.

As Kaydel brushes her hair back out of her eyes and puts the finishing touches on setting it in loose, bouncy curls, stray strands keep sticking to her lips and the nude pink paint that coats them.

Every time that she brings a hand up to dislodge them, her hand is briskly batted away by her fussing stylist.

Damn Kaydel and those lightning fast Chaser reflexes.

“Stop it! You’ll ruin your make up!”, she reprimands sharply.

She continues to bustle around Rey’s face and hair for what feels like hours as she sits there, uncomfortable and impatient.

Eventually, Kaydel steps away to admire her masterpiece. She throws both hands over her heart and exhales a doting, melodramatic sigh.

“Oh, Rey”, she chimes, “you look _amazing!_ ”.

She leans forward to tuck a few defiant curls into their rightful place before squealing delightfully, “take a look then!”.

Rey slowly, slowly, rises from her perch on the end of Kaydel’s bed and crosses the wooden floor to assess the damage in a large round ornate mirror mounted on one of the dormitory’s walls.

The first thing that she notices is her eyes widening in sheer disbelief.

There is just no way that this person blinking back can actually be _her._

Her eyelashes are impossibly dark and long, curling up high over her eyelids which are dusted with warm, golden brown tints that shimmer when caught in certain light. The rich tones accentuate her irises and make her hazel eyes look like they are _blazing_ full of fire. 

Rey’s skin, usually splattered with freckles, is porcelain smooth and perfect, she wouldn’t look out of place in one of Hogwarts glamorous portraits. Pale pink highlighter glistens on her cheekbones and cupid’s bow, adding definition to parts of her face that she has never noticed before.

Kaydel had taken the time to alter her dress a little. It now sits even tighter against her form, accentuating every movement of her hips and making her legs look impossibly lengthy.

“I did good, right?”, Kaydel continues in her excited, high pitched voice. “Look at your hair!”.

She twists to one side to get a peek over her shoulder and a faint _‘ooh’_ sound escapes her lips. Her chestnut hair has been tamed into what Rey can only describe as a ‘half up half down style. It is pulled and pinned at the back of her head, before cascading down past her shoulder blades in perfect, smooth curls.

Interlaced throughout it are dozens of tiny glittering gems, so small that she can’t even see them. She only knows that they are there because when she moves even the slightest fraction, her entire hair glimmers as mesmerisingly as the night sky in the Great Hall.

“I- “, she begins but cuts short, unsure of what to say.

“I _know_!”, Kaydel says shrilly, clapping her hands together and bouncing on the balls of her feet.

Rey is still marvelling at the strangers in her reflection in every glimpse of it she gets in the windows of the tower as they descend the spiralling dormitory stairs. Finn, Poe and Jannah are waiting for them beside the fireplace.

When Jannah spots her friends she throws her hands up over her mouth and shrieks something intelligible, her eyes so wide and full of elation that Rey thinks they may just burst right out of their sockets.

Finn and Poe just stare at Rey like proud parents, their faces glowing with warm, adoring smiles that stretch from cheek to cheek. Finn silently extends a hand out towards Rey and as she takes it she notices that his other one is intertwined tightly with Poe’s.

“Not bad, Niemand”, Poe whispers, nudging her fondly in the ribs and winking cheekily.

“You don’t scrub up too bad yourself”, she serves back to him with a wink of her own. Poe wears a rich scarlet suit made of the smoothest velvet. The long jacket’s neckline dives down his chest into a low ‘V’ to reveal a high collared crisp white shirt underneath, and no tie. His thick dark hair is its usual style; dark messy curls hang slightly over his forehead and bounce with every movement. Rey knows that he will be just as uncomfortable in his fancy clothes as she is in hers, so she is not at all surprised that his compromise was refusing to let Finn tamper with his hair.

“Finn has decided from now on to call me ‘ _Poe Daaaamn-eron”,_ he states proudly.

“You _promised_ you weren’t going to tell anyone about that”, Finn hisses under his breath. His choice in attire consists of a brilliant black shirt and tuxedo with an intricately detailed gold brocade pattern covering its entirety. It fits him so perfectly, so naturally, that when he stands still enough, he could very easily be mistaken for one of Hogwarts grand statues.

The five of them; Rey, Finn, Poe, Kaydel and Jannah, make their way gradually down the depths of the castle. When they reach the first-floor landing, Rey’s heart rate rockets when she hears the faint hum of music drifting up from below them. She is suddenly petrified. She clings needily to Finn as they descend the last of the Grand Staircase’s steps into the Entrance Hall, faltering a little when her attention is grabbed by a small arm waving frantically from somewhere in the crowd below.

Rose stands with her arm looped through Hux’s, who is of course dressed in an entirely black yet sleek get up, his fiery red hair flattened meticulously. He looks so tense that he might shatter under a particularly brisk wind, that is until Rose gives him a reassuring squeeze that seems to expel all the worries right out of him.

Rey’s focus lingers on the unusual pair for a mere two seconds before she freezes midway down the stairs. Her hand slips from Finn’s as her friends continue down, not realising that she has abruptly faltered.

On Rose’s other side towers a creature so beautiful that he surely cannot be real.

Ben stands with his arms locked nervously behind his back, which does nothing but accentuates the broadness of his chest and shoulders. The buttons of his suit jacket strain against his frame, clutching desperately together as though for dear life. The suit itself appears black at first, but then Rey notices that it has an almost iridescent quality, and shimmers a deep, familiar shade of purple in the light. His bow tie is a very pale shade of pastel pink that compliments his dark features beautifully.

Recognition slides into place in Rey’s brain as she realises that Ben has matched his outfit to her dress.

As she continues to tiptoe toward him, he peeks up at her with wide eyes, somewhere between starstruck and terrified. A few rogue pieces of hair spill onto his face and Rey finds that she is secretly glad that he has left it in its everyday tousled way.

When she finally reaches ground level, he steps forward and holds out a hand to her. She slides her palm on top of his and closes the last few feet between them.

They stare into each other’s faces for a moment, both blushing bright pink and a little unsure what to say or do. He begins to scan his eyes over every inch of her, his mouth hanging open just a crack, but his valuation of her in this unrecognisable state doesn’t make Rey uncomfortable at all. She finds herself straightening her back, her hips edging just a few tiny few millimetres closer to his.

Ben notices this motion and her favourite boyish smile breaks out across his lips. The one that bares all of his slightly crooked teeth and crinkles his eyes at the corners.

“You look… ethereal, Rey”, he murmurs and lifts their joined hands to brush the lightest of kisses on the back of hers.

“Are you sure?”, she splutters, unsure of why she asks this question.

“Rose had told me I should prepare myself for the sight of you in this dress but… I was not…”, he says, once more scanning the dress in question and the way it adoringly hugs every curve of her body like it was designed to be worn by her. His free hand moves, and he brushes the pad of his thumb over the bare skin of her waist, left exposed by the cut-outs in her gown. Goosebumps erupt up the length of her spine at his touch.

“You can’t say I didn’t warn you how unreal she would look!”, Rose interjects, clearly having been earwigging on their interaction.

Rey cocks an eyebrow at her. “I didn’t realise you two were so… well, that you know each other at all, actually”, she realises.

“Solo came to me in need of dire assistance and who am I to turn him away? He wanted help in picking his look to compliment yours, and I obliged”, she grins, looking back and forth between them. Ben returns her affectionate look and reaches out to touch her gratefully on the shoulder.

“You do look very nice”, Hux adds awkwardly, as though just wanting to be a part of the conversation.

“Thank you, H- Armi- Hux?”, Rey queries, suddenly unsure of what to call him now that they seem to be on the brink of spending a lot of time together.

He goes stiff again. “Hux is just fine, thank you”, he says hurriedly.

Rose giggles and leads the way inside the Great Hall with a chirpy “c’mon Armie!”, as the doors invitingly creak open.

Empty crystal champagne flutes are handed to each student by the school’s house-elves as they enter, and a collective gasp whooshes through the air as they catch a glimpse inside.

The long house tables have all been removed and replaced with large round ones draped in white silk covers that line an open dancefloor space in the centre of the hall. Huge icicles the size of giants hang from the stone walls and pillars and glitter in the dim light that bounces off of them. From the enchanted ceiling, light snow drifts down but leaves no trace on anything below, vanishing the moment it makes contact with any skin, hair or object below.

Gargantuan, snow-covered Christmas trees are dotted around the hall, dripping in gorgeous oversized baubles and twinkling lights. Around the topmost branches of each tree, a mix of Santa Claus, angels and fairies whizz around, belting out greetings and good tidings in perfect, otherworldly voices.

At the far end of the room, the Hogwarts teachers stand waiting to greet the students, all decorated in elaborate robes and gowns themselves. Headmaster Skywalker, wearing long midnight blue dress robes splashed with silver crescent moons and stars, claps along in time to the small orchestra situated to the right of the head table, occasionally expressing compliments to staff and students alike, “ _Lovely hair Miss Katan”, “Very sharp Mister Syndulla, I can see where he gets his sense of style, Professor Jarrus!”._

The crowds all settle, but the energy throughout them is electric, bristling.

“Welcome, my friends!”, Skywalker’s voice booms through the space, “to the annual Yule Ball. Please, please, unwind, relax, and enjoy yourselves!”

He claps his hands once more and instantly every empty glass in the room is filled to the brim with fragrant, bubbling champagne.

“Cheers!”, he bellows and every single person in the room echoes his sentiment, drinking cheerily.

Murmurs rumble through the hall as the partygoers disband to admire the decorations, dive into the buffet and rendezvous with their friends.

Rey, Ben, Rose, Hux, Finn and Poe are all sipping their beverages and gawping at an elaborate ice sculpture shaped like a luxurious palace, complete with round-topped towers and intricate arches and pillars, when Ezra and Sabine sidle up beside them.

“Hi everyone!”, Sabine says in a bright, sing-song voice. She wears a simple yet graceful silk dress with a plunging neckline. It makes sense, really. Her blue and fluorescent green tipped hair has always been her preferred ‘statement piece’, and the stylish dress accentuates it, as well as her dazzling amber eyes.

The gang all echo greetings in response and dish out the appropriate compliments of one another’s appearances.

Sabine and Rose begin to chatter amongst themselves and Ezra shuffles round to stand beside Ben.

“I can’t believe there’s a human being underneath all that Quidditch pitch dirt!”, he aims at Rey with a friendly chuckle, who beams back. He continues, “I’m kidding, you look great. And I guess you look alright too, Solo”, he winks at his teammate who nudges him jovially with one large fist.

When Ben moves his arm back away, he doesn’t let his hand hang by his side as it had been before but rests it gently on the small of Rey’s back.

They chatter, and Rey drinks until her head is full of a buzzing warmth, having been drinking at a pace quicker than usual due to her nerves and the fact that the glasses are handily enchanted to refill every time they are emptied. Her friends peel off one by one to the dancefloor to ‘throw shapes’, as Finn calls it, to the upbeat music that springs around the sprawling stone walls and rattles through their bones.

She watches them, cackling uncontrollably at their silly moves and glowing with pure joy at seeing her most loved people so completely happy. Ben doesn’t move his hand from her back for even a second, and honestly, Rey welcomes the contact. It comforts her, somehow, to know he is there. It feels like the warm elation flowing through her body radiates from the point where he touches her.

It is not long before Poe emerges from the crowd and wraps his arms around Rey’s shoulders, hauling her into their gyrating midst. She turns back to look at Ben with pleading ‘help me’ eyes, but when she looks in his direction, she is surprised, and a little relieved, to see Rose hanging off his arm and dragging him over also.

“She is alarmingly strong”, Ben grumbles, but with more than a little hint of being impressed in his voice as he rubs the area that she had grabbed hold of him.

They all dance for what feels like hours.

Finn and Poe are both, to everyone’s annoyance, apparently flawless professionals.

Rose does a lot of bouncing on the spot and singing loudly as she bobs her head from side to side.

Hux stands perfectly still, nodding his head in rhythm to the music but staring besotted the whole time at Rose like she is some mythical creature that is only spotted once in a lifetime.

Ben awkwardly shuffles from foot to foot at first as he hurriedly drinks four more glasses of booze in quick succession.

As he descends into drunkenness, Rey grows more and more astonished at the sight before her. He becomes all flailing limbs and wiggling hips. Like a man possessed, all the rigidity leaves his body and he becomes loose. Free. He laces his fingers through Rey’s and loops his arm over her head, twirling her in a circle before pulling her close against his body and swaying both their hips from side to side.

She giggles at him and he spins her again before releasing her, but he keeps one arm above his head and pumps a fist enthusiastically along to the beat.

Rose joins Rey in her hysterical laughter at the image of Ben Solo dancing like a middle-aged dad. But she offers Rey a sideways glance and a smile that clearly says what Rey is also thinking.

It’s nice. To see him unwind like this.

Ben responds to Rose’s schoolgirl giggling by seizing her hand and jumping into a messy swing style dance with her. They clumsily hurtle around in circles, legs shooting outward and hair flipping in every direction.

The other dancers immediately around them move away to give them a wide berth. Some to give them space and avoid potential injury, some to gape at them in utter bewilderment. Poe loudly declares to Finn that they should “clear the danger zone”.

The pair of them look bloody ridiculous, but at this moment Rey truly believes they are having the most fun out of anyone in all of existence, and it makes her heart swell.

She decides to take this moment to slip away for some air. She gently meanders through the crowd and roots herself into a safe spot next to an unnecessarily large punch bowl that is shaped like a sleigh. Strong whiffs of something other than fruit fill the air and in turn her nostrils and she casts her sceptical eyes over the mixture, which is a suspiciously dark shade.

She breathes a measured inhale… there’s an undeniable stench of strong spirits radiating from the liquid. Most definitely not above board.

“I added a little extra _spice_ ”, comes a proud voice from beside her.

Rey’s head darts up. Headmaster Skywalker is peering smugly at her from over the top of a particularly large goblet as he sips happily at the mysterious concoction.

She raises a questioning eyebrow at the wizard.

“Firewhiskey”, he affirms gleefully, taking another sip.

“Are you allowed to do that, Sir?”, Rey queries, grinning fondly at him.

He returns her smile, “if I don’t then one of you students will only take the liberty, and I would prefer to drink the decent stuff, given the choice”.

Rey laughs heartily and helps herself to her own glass of punch. As soon as she takes her first taste she begins to splutter and hack as the strong whiskey scorches her throat.

“Oh dear”, Skywalker muses, “perhaps too strong”.

“No, no”, Rey manages to exhale through heaving breathes, “it’s good, Sir”.

He smiles, charmed by her compliment, even if it is a little white lie.

Footsteps approach them, then, and Ben draws up beside Rey, still beaming as he was on the dancefloor minutes ago.

When he spots his Uncle, his face falls a little, and a certain amount of that familiar tenseness returns to him.

“Hello, Ben”, Skywalker says, softly but brightly.

“Hello, Luke”, Ben says stiffly.

They stand in silence for a little longer than is comfortable, looking anywhere but at each other.

“Are you- did you- did you and R- Miss Niemand come together?”, he asks. Rey picks up on the edge of excitement that tinges his tone but Ben doesn’t seem to clock it.

Perhaps not excitement, but hope?

“Yes”, Ben replies flatly.

“We have some classes together. And Quidditch. Well, not together obviously- but we play. Against each other. Both of us. We’re in different houses”, Rey blurts out, desperate to fan the embers of this dwindling interaction between the two estranged relatives before it fizzles out entirely.

“Wonderful!”, he exclaims, but the tension is still palpable. “Well, it is good to see you, Ben. I do hope you will stop by for a stiff drink and to humour your old Uncle one day soon”, he says.

“Sure”, is all Ben says.

Skywalker looks a strange mix of hopeful, yet disappointed. “I should let you get back to your night. Enjoy it, both of you”.

Nephew and Uncle nod in understanding to one another and Rey smiles weakly at the Headmaster as he returns to the huddle of his colleagues gathered to one side of the dancefloor.

Absentmindedly, Ben wraps an arm around Rey’s waist and steps close to her, leaning down to bury his face in the top of her hair and breathing one slow, deep breath. She weaves both of her arms around his midriff and cranes her head up a fraction to brush a sneaky, soft kiss to his neck. His muscles go slack one more.

“Are you okay?”, she whispers, “that seemed… tense”.

“Yes”, he offers by way of reply. To which question he is answering she is unsure. Perhaps both.

Rey takes a small step away from him and peers up into his face, straining to read his thoughts through his blank expression. She considers pushing the subject, to try to understand where the rot in his relationship with Skywalker stems from so that maybe, somehow, she can start to dig it out.

A sudden smile breaks onto Ben’s face and it startles Rey a little.

“What?”, she says, shocked.

“You really are indescribably beautiful”, he says plainly, as though this were the obvious answer, intertwining their fingers together once more.

“You’re welcome!”, comes Kaydel’s slurred voice in a drawn out, sing-song voice. Neither Rey nor Ben had noticed her a few feet away, helping herself to a generous serving of the whiskey laced punch. Jacen Syndulla hovers with his arm draped over her shoulder and the heavily merry pair lean close to each other’s face and giggle like naughty kids before Jacen begins to scatter kisses over every inch of her face while she continues to squeal delightedly.

When the giddy couple have vanished back onto the dancefloor, Rey stands hand in hand with Ben and observes the bodies now slow dancing around them. She hadn’t even noticed the change in tempo in the music. The vibrant, lively melodies are gone, and serene, orchestral notes now swarm through the hazy air.

They watch for a while, swept up in the mist of contented bliss that fills the Great Hall. In her periphery, she sees Ben down an almost full flute of champagne in one gulp. He slides his hand free of hers and extends it to her, palm up as he had done on the stairs earlier. He doesn’t look in her direction but instead stares intensely into the crowd on the dancefloor.

Unsure of what is going on, Rey complies, placing her hand atop his.

Then she is being guided forward, forcefully but gently, into the very centre of the throng of dancers.

Ben comes to a stop beside Finn and Poe, who stand with their foreheads pressed together and their eyes closed as they move calmly from side to side.

Just behind them are Rose and Hux, Rose with her cheek nestled against her companion’s chest and a peaceful look across her lovely face.

Rey’s own date brings their joined hands up to hover at chest level, out to their side and rests his other tentatively on the skin of her waist. She places her free one lightly atop his shoulder and they begin to sway, clicking into a rhythm straight away as though they had been practising for this their entire lives.

She gazes up into his eyes and he into hers. His look so soft, so peaceful. Rey takes the time to look at every eyelash, every beauty mark on his perfect face, as they move gracefully on the spot. It’s as though the entire room falls away and just the two of them are left.

Rey is perfectly aware of the comforting presence of her friends, her family, surrounding her, but at that moment, she sees only one of them.

Slowly, so slowly, Ben leans in toward her and dusts a tender, delicate kiss on her lips. As he straightens up, Rey buries her face against the fabric of his suit, feeling the warmth of his skin beneath it on her cheek. She closes her eyes and slows her breath, inhaling every flavour of his scent, and losing all sense of time.

At the head of the Hall, Professor Kenobi strides over to stand beside Professor Tano, who watches the students of Hogwarts with an undeniable, deep affection in her expression.

Kenobi follows her gaze and finds that she lingers on one couple in particular.

“Did you know about this?”, he asks with an approving purr.

A subtle, knowing smile creeps onto Professor Tano’s plump lips. “Do they remind you of anyone?”, she asks, but there is no missing the hint of sadness, of loss, in her voice.

Kenobi sweeps one long arm over his old friend's shoulder and pulls her close, and together they silently reminisce on lost friends dearly missed.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Poe Daaamneron joke is awful but I couldn’t help myself.

+10 brownie points if anyone can figure out who/what inspired Poe's suit.

Finn's suit is inspired by [this.](https://www.farfetch.com/uk/shopping/men/versace-barocco-brocade-blazer-item-14834383.aspx?utm_source=stylight.co.uk&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=cpc&pid=stylight.co.uk&af_channel=affiliate&is_retargeting=true)

Star Wars References

[Jacen Syndulla](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Jacen_Syndulla) (I realise I never clarified which Jacen I was referring to before now so my apologies!)


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Offered with no comment :)

The celebrations continue way into the early hours of the morning and come 2 am show no sign of slowing, even though the majority of students have retired for the night. The remaining partygoers are all seventh years, clinging to every moment of their final Yule Ball.

Even the teachers have given up, leaving them to their own devices with a semi-stern warning from Professor Tano to “keep the noise to a respectable level”.

Rey’s friends are dotted around the Great Hall, dancing, drinking, chatting. She is taking a well-needed break, having inflicted herself with a monumental stitch when tiny Temiri Blagg had timidly asked her if she wanted to dance with him. They had flung themselves excitedly around the dancefloor for a considerable length of time, jumping and belting out the words to their favourite Weird Sisters songs as loud as they could. Then Poe had let the first year try a sip of the spiked punch, which had done him in for the night. Rey had sent him to bed, and Temiri had shuffled sleepily out of the Hall a short time later, hiccupping and singing Quidditch songs.

She sits now with Ben beside the roaring fireplace, their backs turned slightly against the rest of the room as they watch the crackling embers flicker from the hearth. Her hand rests in Ben’s lap, and he plays absentmindedly with her fingers, rubbing and gently squeezing each one.

They are discussing classes, as Ben gives Rey a rundown of his impressions of all the Hogwarts Professors, now that he has been here for just over three months.

_Three months_ , Rey thinks dazedly.

Hard to believe it’s been so long a time, and yet so little. In a way, it feels like he has always been here.

“I’m glad that no matter what issues divide the four Houses, we can all agree wholeheartedly that Snoke is an absolute arsewipe”, Rey chuckles in response to a particularly expletive-ridden description of the Potions master from Ben.

“I must admit I am not particularly ecstatic at the prospect of looking at his shrivelled old face for another six months”, Ben half laughs, half groans.

“I can’t believe there’s only a week left of this term- flown by…”, Rey mumbles, losing herself in the light of the fire.

“Are you- will you be returning home for the holidays?”, Ben questions.

She hesitates for a moment before finally saying firmly, “no”.

In the corner of her vision, she can see that he is side-eyeing her, waiting for something more. Rey takes a deep breath, measuring her words carefully.

Is she ready to share this piece of herself yet?

“I just prefer staying here. Too much packing”, she continues blankly.

Even without looking him directly in the face, she can see the tiny twitch in the line in the centre of his brow. She twists her head and makes eye contact with him, thinking somehow this will sell her utterly untrue excuse.

The furrow between his eyes becomes more set then, and he stares straight at her with an odd expression that she can’t quite place.

Rey doesn’t like it. The return to his usual pained scowl after a whole night of looking at his beautiful smile, softening his every fibre.

“What about you?”, she asks cheerily.

“Yes. As my mother and I are both here now, my father is going to travel to London”, he replies, a little distracted in his manner.

“I still can’t believe your dad is _Han bloody Solo!”,_ Rey smirks, peeking up at him through her dark, mascara-extended lashes.

Ben laughs deeply, letting it rattle through his chest. “I’ll have to introduce you”.

The mention of meeting Ben’s parents makes Rey’s stomach flip into high somersaults and her cheeks glow with heat. Partly with nervousness at the idea, partly with joy at the possibility of him even considering allowing her into that part of his life; in allowing her behind that door that he has kept so fiercely shut until now.

She shrugs, offering up an indifferent look. “I heard his son is pretty hot, will you introduce me to him instead?”.

Ben’s face lights up with a devilish smile and his eyes flash darkly. He curls one finger under her chin and tilts her head up until her own eyes are level with his.

“Absolutely not”, he hums, “you’re _mine_ ”.

His soft lips lean in to meet hers. His kiss is gentle, teasing. Like a punctuation mark rather than a statement.

Ben’s choice of words flitters furiously around inside her stomach like pixies fighting to be free.

_Mine._

He breaks the contact between them and backs away a little. Rey’s gaze follows his lips; the inviting fullness of them stirring up a screeching voice inside of her, telling her she needs to feel them again.

Rey stares at those lips that she so heavily craves. Her own mouth hangs open a sliver and her bottom lip begins to quiver.

With a deep gulp of nervous and steadying air, she lunges forward, grabbing a fistful of his jacket to yank him toward her and hungrily reconnect their mouths.

He responds straight away. She feels the curve of a smile warm his features pressed against hers and his hands slide to cup either side of her jaw as she slides her tongue in to brush playfully against his.

Ben exhales the faintest of moaning sighs which stokes the embers lying in the pits of Rey’s stomach into a small blaze.

She tugs him even closer against her and threads her fingers through his thick hair, nibbling gently at his lip. Ben’s chest puffs in amusement and he pulls back, a curious smirk etched onto the lip that Is now the tiniest bit swollen and wet from Rey’s assault. He shifts his right hand to brush delicate lines back and forth on her cheekbone and looks her dead in the eyes.

“Behave yourself, little pumpkin”, he murmurs, never moving his eyes from hers.

“No”, she answers instantly.

He laughs lightly again, inclining his head in the direction of the stragglers still scattered around the hall over their shoulders. Finn and Poe have apparently snuck off, probably either to the dormitory or more likely to an empty classroom somewhere. Rose and Hux sit on either side of a small circular table, talking intensely but happily. Rey can see that they are holding hands, and Hux even looks like he’s smiling.

Rey looks back to Ben, who offers no words, but she understands his meaning perfectly.

Right. They’re not alone.

Abruptly, he stands, extending a hand to her. She drags her gaze up the length of his long arm and up to his face towering high over where she sits.

Rey blinks once. Questioningly.

“I thought we might take a walk”, he says calmly.

Sliding her hand into his and lacing their fingers together, Rey allows him to tug her gently to her feet, swaying a little under the still lingering influence of the alcohol. They cross the Great Hall slowly and she waves subtly at Rose as they pass in front of where she and Hux are sat.

“Rey, have you ever seen that tapestry on the seventh floor of Barnabas the Barmy teaching ballet to trolls?”, she asks casually.

It’s that same casual tone that she had used in the library when quizzing Rey about her thoughts on Ben.

Rey just stares blankly at her, completely blindsided by the absurdity of this question.

As she is breaking down the several baffling points of the query, Rose speaks again with a strangely high-pitched voice, “It’s _really_ great. You two should go and check it out. Head for the Divination Classroom and take a right. I find it’s a really great spot to just _think hard_ about what it is you want; you know? Maybe you can stop by it on your way to Gryffindor Tower? I do assume you’re going to walk her back up to her dormitory, Benjamin?”. Both of her perfectly shaped eyebrows perk up at him expectantly.

“Of course”, Ben nods once.

He leads Rey out into the moonlight flooded Entrance Hall as she continues to chew on Rose’s bizarre suggestion. They wade dreamily through the wide stone corridors and up the trawling marble staircases, pausing on occasion so that Rey can show him a particularly lively painting that she likes, or a sneaky secret passageway that will lead him directly to the cellar of Honeyduke’s sweet shop, or a handy tunnel from the first floor to the sixth without ever being seen. 

They stroll hand in hand through the castle, looking like the rich heiresses to a notable monarchy as they sweep around in their gorgeous ball attire. The halls are all deathly silent; most of the portraits snore happily in their frames, but the surroundings are still comforting to Rey. She could never be afraid here. This is her home and nothing inside or outside of these four walls can harm her.

Every time they stop to observe one of her many favourite spots, Ben ducks his head to dot kisses on top of her head and the back of her hand. It does nothing for the urge building in Rey’s chest to bundle him into a dark classroom and destroy him with kisses.

In what feels like no time at all, they are clambering into the seventh floor via of a trapdoor hidden underneath a statue of a centaur that slides sideways, an action that is no easy feat for Rey in her floor-length dress. It flails behind her as she steps carefully out and Ben automatically swoops it clear of any snags, rearranging it neatly around her feet so that she can walk without risk of falling flat on her face.

They glance at each other for a hesitant moment, and as if led by some sort of joint silent curiosity, they make toward the Divination Classroom.

⋆ ⋆ ⋆

When looking for it, the tapestry that Rose had mentioned sticks out like a sore thumb. It sits alone on a bare wall in the middle of a short corridor, directly opposite a stretch of an entirely blank wall, which is unusual for Hogwarts. Every turn is splattered with some sort of decoration or historical monument.

Rey and Ben approach the tapestry warily, simultaneously craning their necks to get a clearer look at it.

A tiny man stands in the midst of eight huge, grotesque trolls, all sporting pretty pink tutu’s and stretching their tremendous limbs into graceful poses.

It is hands down the weirdest scene that Rey has ever witnessed. And there are some positively bizarre things to be found at Hogwarts.

_Why the bloody hell has she sent me up here to look at this?_ Rey groans internally.

She scrunches up her eyes to scrutinise the tapestry better and senses Ben beside her doing the same. Is there some weird hidden message in it somewhere? But why would Rose drop a hint the weight of a Hungarian Horntail for her to come and solve this mystery right now this second?

Rey scrolls her mind back to Rose’s precise words.

_Think hard about what it is you want._

She sighs and folds her arms across her chest sulkily.

What _does_ she want?

She thinks hard but all she can focus on is the fact that Ben is stood next to her, staring holes into the tapestry and playing absentmindedly with a strand of her curly hair.

All she truly wants to do right now is kiss him again.

_I just want to be on my own with Ben, somewhere just for us, where no one can find or interrupt us_ , the thought flickers faintly through her mind, crystal clear but quiet.

Rey rearranges her focus back to the trolls, determined to decipher Rose’s plan.

But something has seized Ben’s attention. He glances quickly over his shoulder, then double-takes, spinning quickly on the spot to face the bare wall behind them.

Except the wall is not bare anymore.

Rey has followed his line of sight, and straight in front of them, opposite the peculiar tapestry, is a heavy wooden door clad in beautiful black iron filigree.

“That- was that there before?”, Ben asks sceptically.

She steps forward toward the newly appeared door. Ben grabs her hand as if to hold her back, but ultimately lets her go when she continues moving. She trusts the castle. Rey reaches out, wrapping a hand around the bright gold handle, twisting it and pushing the door open.

Her jaw drops as she absorbs what lies inside.

It’s a bedroom. But the most elaborate, stunning bedroom Rey could ever imagine existing.

In the centre of the large room is a sprawling four-poster bed, adorned in what looks like white silk sheets and towering high up toward the wooden beams of the ceiling. A small sitting area resides on the right of the bed, three plush sofas curled in a horseshoe shape around a fire that roars in a stone hearth. The far wall is made almost entirely of stained-glass windows, depicting powerful tableaus of each of the four Hogwarts founders, draped in the rich colours of their houses. Through the coloured glass, you can see straight out over the lake, and the reflection of the winter stars glittering on its surface.

“Rose…”, she breathes, as her friend's intention clicks into place.

The door thuds shut as Ben follows, and he moves to stand behind her, also bewilderedly taking in the spectacle of the beautiful, cosy room.

“What is this place?”, he murmurs over her shoulder.

“I- I don’t know”, she breathes in reply. “But Hogwarts has a way of… helping”.

Ben wraps his arms around her waist and places a line of kisses up the length of her neck. She leans into him, closing her eyes and relishing the sensation.

Before long, he spins her round to face him and dips to her level to change his focus to her lips.

“Oh”, she mumbles between his pecks, “so now you want to kiss?”.

“I see… no problem, I can stop”, he moves as if to step away from her, but she grabs hold of his jacket once again and pulls him back in, crashing her lips ferociously against his.

He responds by threading his fingers through the hair at the nape of her neck, the tips of the opposite fingers digging into the exposed skin of her waist.

Rey licks at his lips and he offers no contest, allowing her to begin to hungrily roll her tongue against his and matching her rhythm quickly.

A nigh on unbearable heat is rapidly gathering in Rey’s stomach and thighs, and a thick wetness forming between her legs. She presses her body as close to his as possible and feels his rock-hard cock push against her stomach through their clothes.

Rey’s cunt _throbs_ at the sheer knowledge of what is under those pesky, fancy suit trousers. She drags the heel of her hand over his body to brush it through the fabric and he shudders in response. She adds a little more pressure behind her touch and rubs heavily up his length.

Suddenly, she is being pushed backward until her spine makes contact with the wall. Ben’s kiss intensifies, the speed and deepness of it growing rapidly.

He is devouring her, and yet it is still not enough.

Rey moves her hand toward the bulge in his trousers once more, only to have her wrist seized and stopped midway.

She whines in protest.

“I told you… to behave yourself”, Ben teases.

“I want you”, she says. _Pleads_.

“You have to be a good girl, Rey”, he croons, “do you remember- “.

Without warning he brushes one single finger between her thighs, drawing a line over her dress up toward her pelvis and giving a flicking motion over where her clit is beneath the fabric.

"-What happens when you’re a good girl?”, he finishes.

Rey whimpers and nods obediently, biting hard on her bottom lip to the point of pain.

He slides his hand underneath the slit in Rey’s dress and continues to rub the lightest of patterns over her underwear. A tiny smile pulls at the corner of his mouth, and he begins to place tender kisses down her neck and across her collarbones. He makes his way slowly down between her cleavage and gets to work sucking tiny bruises onto her breasts, lapping the skin soothingly as he goes. She tugs on his hair, encouraging him to keep going.

“You look fucking unbelievable in this dress, Rey- been driving me crazy all night. I wanted you so bad”, he groans into her skin.

Then he pulls her underwear to one side and pushes one long, thick finger inside of her.

“Let me show you how much I want you”, he says smoothly.

Rey _gasps_ a sharp intake of air, her entire body shuddering as he starts to move his finger in and out, in and out, all the way to the knuckle

He draws back up to look her in the face, his lips inches from hers as her mouth hangs open and she fights to steady her breathing.

His finger pulses rhythmically inside of her cunt, both calming the inferno burning over every inch of her skin and intensifying it with every tiny movement.

“ _Fuck”_ , he rasps, “you’re _soaked_ , Rey”.

She lets out a loud moan as he quickens his pace. She begins to instinctively grind against his hand, pushing him a little deeper with every stroke.

He looks at her in awe, like he might faint.

“So wet for me”, he whispers, pressing his forehead to hers.

Rey can feel the familiar peak building inside of her already, so close to tumbling over its edge.

“ _Ben”_ , she begs.

He understands what she needs so desperately and inserts another finger inside her dripping wet cunt. As he pumps inside of her, stretching her walls as he strokes that sweet spot so deep inside, he starts to brush tiny circles on her clit with his thumb.

It takes seconds for Rey to crumble.

Her mouth hangs open wide as she shrieks silent screams in time with her laboured breathing, her eyes screwed up tight. She clings to the back of his neck, to the collar of his jacket for support, as he watches her intently, wide-eyed in pure wonder.

Every nerve in Rey’s body sings as the bliss feeling floods through her. Her knees go weak, but Ben keeps her steady and upright and kisses her softly as she drifts back to her senses, her breathing falling back into a semi-normal pattern.

Then she is off her feet, her legs wrapped around Ben’s waist as he carries her toward the giant bed at the room’s centre. He sits her carefully on the edge of the bed atop the rich silk sheets, not once breaking the contact of his full lips on hers.

Rey reaches for the clasp of his belt, hastily pulling it apart and ungraciously unbuttoning his trousers with shaking fingers. He places his hands over hers, taking over the task of freeing himself of his trousers. She gets to work instead on shimmying her underwear out from underneath her bum, sliding them down her legs and discarding them on the floor.

Ben stands in front of her, naked from the waist down, cock jutting out, and her breath catches in her throat.

“ _Yoda”,_ she breathes.

She reaches around as if to unzip her dress but is halted by Ben’s shy voice.

“Leave it on”, he asks, and she draws her hands back into her lap.

He smirks, descending onto the bed and laying her gently down on her back. He settles his frame between her legs, dwarfing her and pinning her down but keeping the majority of his weight on his elbow so as not to crush her beneath him.

Instinctively she wraps her legs around him, clamping him between her knees in a vice-like grip.

Ben brushes a few loose hairs out of her face and falls back into kissing her passionately.

Rey can feel the very tip of his cock brushing against her entrance and it drives her to the brink of insanity. She returns his kiss, licking hungrily at his mouth.

“Rey, are you s- “, he breaks away to whisper.

In answer she grabs a fistful of his hair and writhes against him, yanking herself closer to his body, and his rock-hard length.

Ben complies and pushes his cock slowly inside of her, and Rey’s entire body tenses up. Every hair on her body stands to attention and she holds her breath at the small tinge of pain that shoots through her upon his entrance.

He is absolutely _massive._

“Oh- R- You’re so _tight_ , sweetheart”, he purrs into her mouth and shudders.

He must sense her slight discomfort, though. as he begins to so gently rock back and forth, gradually stretching out every inch of her with every motion and matching his small thrusts deeper inside of her with the beat of their kiss.

He takes it in tiny steps, being so cautious not to hurt her and running the pad of his thumb over her cheek in a soothing gesture. Rey relaxes, and her muscles expand and throb around the shaft of him until the pain begins to subside, and then it’s like they were designed to be together like this.

She lets him know that she is okay by giving him a pleasured groan as she rolls her body in time with his, matching his rhythm.

Ben slides forward into her, up to the root. He stays there for a moment, perfectly still.

Slowly then, he draws out, almost entirely except for the tip.

Then he pushes his cock back all the way into Rey’s cunt in one smooth, fluid movement.

Hot white spots flash across the inside of her eyelids as he hits that perfect spot, and she _shrieks_.

He shifts to nestle his face into the side of her neck, his lips pressed against her earlobe.

“There you go, sweetheart”, he murmurs as he thrusts in and out of her, over and over, “ _oh-_ your pussy feels _so fucking good_ \- all soaking wet and stretched around my cock”.

Her breathing increases rapidly along with their pace, and she quickly begins to unravel around him, falling into a trance where all she knows is that she needs more of this, more of Ben.

She grabs needily at every part of his body she can reach, letting out small cries with every swirl of his hips that brushes new parts of her cunt that scream in pleasure in response.

“Ben”, she whispers, “it’s- you’re- “, she can’t even get the words out.

He reaches down and hooks one hand underneath her knee, lifting it to wrap over the small of his back and open her thighs just a tiny bit wider, gaining a few more precious centimetres of depth into her.

His hips move quicker and quicker, and he slides his other warm hand between the tiny gap in their bodies to rub small, silky circles on her clit.

Rey throws her head back and her spine arches, a rasping sound escaping her chest.

“You’re so fucking beautiful, Rey”, his speech comes in sharp drawls, limited by his shaking breath. “Been dreaming about what you would feel like- since the moment we met- so much better than I imagined- you’re so perfect- a dream”.

Searing tears begin to form in the corners of Rey’s eyes as he fucks her in rough, fast strokes, getting harder by the minute. She never wants this to end, but she doesn’t know how much longer she can hold on.

“Such a good girl for me”, he continues, “coming all over my fingers and letting me stretch out that pretty little pussy- so fucking gorgeous when you come”.

His expert fingers add a little pressure to her throbbing, swollen clit, and Rey begins to tremble underneath him. He wraps an arm underneath her back, clutching her tight to him as if bracing her for what is about to happen.

“You’re going to come for me now, baby”, he hums softly but firmly.

The command pushes Rey over the precipice, and she falls into utter oblivion. Lightning shoots through her limbs, out to her toes and fingers, setting her ablaze as her entire body quivers uncontrollably. Her ears begin to ring and through the haze she can hear a voice that sounds like hers, crying out, sobbing in sheer euphoria.

Ben reacts to her cunt tightening around his cock by bucking into her with hard deliberate thrusts and grunting into her ear.

“ _Rey- “,_ he whimpers.

“Come for me”, she _begs_ , “want- want you to fill me up, _please_ ”, she squeaks.

He comes apart instantly, falling to pieces, a man undone. His entire body shakes violently, his grip on her thigh tightening intensely. Rey can feel the soft skin there beginning to bruise instantly, but she couldn’t care less. Ben muffles a deep bellow into her hair as his strokes become slower and more erratic and they tumble into a state that is both out of body and at the same time hyper-aware of every nerve, every atom.

Rey feels him spill into her, a wet warmth drenching her walls and building with his last few pushes. She trails her fingertips up and down his spine and peppers adoring kisses on his cheek and jawline and into his messy hair.

When he has nothing left, he collapses on top of her, nudging his nose into the crook of her neck, his breathing uneven as it ghosts against her skin. She can feel his heart pounding through his chest and realises that she can literally hear her own beating in her ears.

They stay like that for an uncertain amount of time, wordlessly holding on to one another, their breath falling into step with one another as they both descend into a deep, dreamless sleep.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

HP References

[The Troll Tapestry](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Troll_Tapestry)

[The Room of Requirement ](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Room_of_Requirement)


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello guys!
> 
> Just a quickie - I really, really want to stick to the routine of posting every Friday because I love so much reading your comments over the weekend, but my day job has been so hectic the last two weeks that it's caused a delay in this update.
> 
> I've been trying to write in the evenings but I've been pulling 14-15 hour days and by the time I get home I am very sleepy, and therefore not going to churn out my best work. Therefore I might have to take some liberties on my promise of updating every Friday. I don't want to put deadlines on myself and end up rushing out chapters that I know I could have made better with an extra few days. I am still going to aim to update roughly once a week, even if it's a slightly shorter chapter. I basically want to let it flow a little more and put less pressure on myself so that I can really put my all into this for myself and for you guys.
> 
> I hope that's okay with you all, and rest assured I am truly loving writing this so it's not going to disappear or go unfinished, I'm just trying to allow myself more breathing room to do my best writing :)
> 
> \---
> 
> Another note: I really toyed with the idea of including background on Rey and Ben's sexual history. I decided to leave it ambiguous.
> 
> \---
> 
> Another another note: I've upped the chapter count :)

Rey awakes the next morning with a beam of sunlight warming her back, a dull ache between her thighs and a deep feeling of serenity in her chest.

As well as a harsh, thudding headache.

_Bloody stupid punch_ , she thinks.

Her groggy, sleep weighted eyes flitter open and instantly are greeted by the sight of Ben’s chest, inches from her nose, still clad in his Yule Ball attire, albeit deeply crinkled and scruffy. They lay facing one another on their sides; Ben with one long arm wrapped around Rey’s waist and trailing up her back, the other curled underneath her head as a makeshift pillow. His breathing is calm and deep.

Rey begins to wiggle just the tiniest bit, wanting to shuffle to a position in which she can see his face whilst not disturbing his sleep when the vibration of his chest startles her as he speaks.

“Good morning”, he says.

“Oh!”, she squeaks, as he loosens his hold around her midriff to allow her to move to look at him.

When their eyes meet, he smiles softly at her. His hair falls messily in loose strands around his face, obscuring his eyes just a little.

“Did I wake you?”, Rey asks as without thinking, she reaches up to brush the hair away with her fingertips.

“No”, he replies with a hint of a laugh, “I’ve been awake for just over two hours”.

“ _What?!”,_ Rey gaps in disbelief, “why didn’t you wake me up?”.

“You looked so peaceful, I would have never forgiven myself for pulling you out of whatever dream you were in”, he shrugs.

Rey gapes at him, then asks nervously, “I didn’t wake _you_ up, did I? Kay says that I snore like a foghorn”.

Ben definitely laughs this time; his chest shakes, and Rey feels his breath skim against her skin as he expels the air from his lungs.

“I actually had the best night’s sleep I’ve had in- well, a long time”, he says. He pulls Rey closer to his chest again and lays a kiss on her forehead.

She leans into his warm body and breathes one long inhale, soaking him in and-

Rey freezes, then worms free of his arms to sit upright. Ben watches her curiously as she pivots an arm up over her head and takes a shallow sniff in the vicinity of her armpit.

“We bloody _stink”_ , she grimaces, crinkling her nose in disgust as the smell mixes with the alcohol-induced nausea to send her a little woozy.

Ben mimics her movement, a small twitch rippling the tip of his nose as he breathes in the scent of their skin.

They make eye contact and for a few long seconds, just sit staring at one another with their faces twisted into exaggerated masks of displeasure.

Then simultaneously, they erupt into shrieks of laughter. They lean into one another, roaring and heaving to catch their breath, tears seeping from the corners of their eyes. Each time it seems as though their amusement is fading out; Rey lets out an uncontrollable snort that propels Ben straight back into a spiral of schoolboy giggling.

After a long while, their raucousness subsides enough for Rey to stammer as she wipes the moisture from her lashes, “we really need a- “.

She is cut short by a soft _click_ on the far side of the room.

Both their heads snap in its direction but in very different manners. Rey is instantly intrigued, her eyes bright and excited. Ben shifts forward onto his knees, a protective arm lunges out in front of Rey’s body.

She swings her legs out and over the side of the bed, her dress trailing behind her as she glides across the rich wooden floor on the balls of her feet and toward the door. Rey strains her arms around her back and tugs the zip of her dress down, letting it fall to the floor and stepping out of it in one continuous, if not a little clumsy, movement. She ruffles her fingers through the lengths of her hair, plucking out any of the tiny jewels left in it that hadn’t been knocked loose in the night.

The question of where this mysterious door could lead doesn’t even cross her mind. She already knows. She had asked for it, after all, even if she hadn’t necessarily meant to.

Reaching one hand for the weathered gold doorknob, she twists and yanks it open.

The cosy room within is floor to ceiling pristine pale grey tiles. Rey has not the faintest clue what type of stone they are, but she thinks perhaps they are marble, perfectly smooth and glistening in the light of the melting candles that glow dimly around the room, some hovering a few feet above her head.

A large wooden cabinet lines one wall, with two copper basins atop them and large gold, framed mirrors the shape of the Great Hall’s windows above. On the opposite side of the new space is a rainfall shower big enough for an entire Quidditch team. It spans the entire width of the room and basically s _creams_ for Rey to step inside.

Without hesitation, she flicks open the crystal-clear glass door and steps inside, turning the handle on the wall to activate the water.

It is instantly warm as it crashes into her skin, sending a buzz racing through her nerves. The droplets cascade through her hair, knocking out any remnants of Kaydel’s curls.

Rey gathers her hair up into her hands, pinning it to the top of her head in a scruffy bun. She closes her eyes and lets out a low, happy purr as the hot water rolls down every inch of her body, beginning to rinse away the smudges of make-up around her eyes and the still slightly sticky patch between her legs.

She doesn’t even flinch when a tiny whisp of cool air brushes against her as the shower door opens and closes, announcing Ben’s entrance.

There is silence for a moment, filled with nothing but the pitter-patter of the water raining down around them.

When Ben doesn’t move- hardly even breathes- she opens one eye to peek at him curiously.

He stands rooted into his spot, staring open-mouthed at her, doe-eyed and absolutely entranced.

Rey lowers her arms, letting her damp hair tumble back down past her shoulder blades.

It dawns on her, as she scans an eye over his porcelain smooth skin, that this is the first time they have actually seen each other completely _naked_.

She had always been fully aware of the sheer brick wall-sized of him, but now, face to face with his bare, sprawling chest, it is downright overwhelming. His body mass must almost double hers. Stood those close, she can see every curve and swell of his sharp muscles, currently tense and bulging underneath his pale skin which is flecked with icy tangled spiderweb veins.

Rey marvels at the impossible beauty of him, water and steam rippling down his thick figure, clinging to his skin adoringly as though never wanting to be separated from it.

She knows the feeling.

And Ben gawps right back at her with the same look.

Perhaps she should feel shy and cover herself up, but the way in which he is gazing at her has the complete and utter opposite effect. Rey can’t help but smile.

Ben takes a smooth step closer to her, not making eye contact but looking directly instead at her stomach. He reaches out a hand to brush his thumb over her hip bone, tracing ghosting lines up and down it. The touch makes Rey’s nerves _leap_.

He brushes his fingers delicately across her stomach and up along the dip of her waist, the slight curve of her breast, then crosses the line of her collarbones. It’s like he is mapping out her shape, committing it to deepest memory. Finally, he brings his palm to cup her jaw and rubs the pad of his thumb under her eyes and across her cheeks, back and forth. He repeats the motion and Rey registers that he must be ridding her skin of the last remnants of her Yule Ball glamour.

A faint smile plays on his lips, but he still does not look her in the eye. His focus is on the bridge of her nose and the apple of her cheeks.

Rey realises that she is holding her breath and wonders at what point precisely she stopped breathing.

She inhales in preparation to ask him what he is looking at, but he answers before she can even form the words.

“Your freckles”, he whispers, his smile widening a fraction, “I missed them”.

Ben pulls Rey close to him and kisses her.

It’s slow, but passionate, like he is relishing every single second of it. And Rey is too.

He guides her backward until she is wedged between his broad chest and the slick tiles. His hot tongue had slipped instantly into her mouth, and he tastes like the slightest dash of alcohol still as he dances delicately in rhythm with her own.

Rey’s pulse quickens rapidly as Ben’s hands search her body, the mix of warm water and his light hands setting her every nerve ending ablaze.

He traipses his fingers down the slope of her neck, dragging them down until he skims very deliberately over her nipple.

A tiny gasp escapes Rey’s lips and she unintentionally bites down gently on his lip, which she feels instantly twist into a pleased smirk.

Her nipple at once hardens into a hard peak, almost as though begging for his touch. Ben obliges, of course, floating his hand between their wet bodies and beginning to stroke the smallest of circles over their hardness.

Spine arching away from the slippery wall, Rey _whimpers_ at the sensation, only heightened by the heat and lubricant of the showers water. She snakes her arms around his thick torso, digging her fingertips into the sinewy muscle of his back, anchoring herself to him both for support and as a silent plea for more.

Ben breaks away from her mouth and dusts sloppy kisses down her neck, pausing on his descent to nip tenderly at the point where her pulse rages beneath the surface. Rey can feel it- _hear_ it- threatening to rip through her thin flesh entirely. There’s surely no way it can contain such a furious chorus.

The entire time Ben doesn’t stop skirting his fingers over that so sensitive pinnacle, and as he carves out a path with his feather-soft lips down her shoulder to rest between her breasts, every nerve, goosebump and hair on Rey’s trembling body is electrified in anticipation as she realises what he is about to do.

He hesitates as if waiting for some sort of permission, and she gives it in the form of lacing her fingers through his sodden hair and tugging his face toward her chest.

Ben hungrily seals his lips over her pert nipple and begins to swirl his tongue over every millimetre of it. He sucks, and licks, and occasionally grazes his teeth against her skin in a way that adds the perfect edge of a sting in contract to the soothing lap of his hot tongue.

Rey throws her head back, finding the coolness of the tiles grounding as she tightens her grip through Ben’s hair, coaxing him on.

He alternates between her breasts, smothering each in equal share of adoration until Rey is an overstimulated, hyperventilating mess. Her head shrieks, every sense filled with a high-pitched hum, like a pot of boiling water on a blazing flame screaming to be released.

She gulps for air, tiny specks of water trickling into her throat and lungs, but they might as well be fine smoke for all she cares, and she is actually a little grateful for some moisture to her gradually drying mouth.

With a wet _pop_ , he breaks away from her scarlet flushed breast and beelines straight for her lips once more. As he straightens up and presses himself flush against her, Rey’s head spins and she sways a little when she feels his rock-solid cock press against her stomach, and how intimidatingly _large_ it is. She grapples desperately at any part of his slick skin that she can reach, attempting to wordlessly communicate to him what she wants. Understandingly, Ben slides his hands between Rey’s body and the tiles, cupping her bottom and sweeping her effortlessly off of the shower’s floor.

Rey reaches underneath her thighs to wrap a delicate hand around the length of his cock, then guides him to her entrance.

Ben slides into her cunt in one smooth, fluid movement, all the way to his base. His breath catches in his throat at the feeling of being enveloped inside of her; warm and soft, so pliant and elated to welcome him.

She, however, winces, scrunching up her nose in discomfort. She hadn’t realised how sensitive she still was from the night before.

He picks up on her tenseness at once, pulling away from their kiss to assess her face with alarm stricken across his own. One sturdy hand remains gripped around the curve of her rear, while the other shoots up to cup her jaw and instantly trace calming lines up and down it.

“Are you okay?”, he whispers, eyes darting over her face faster than a Golden Snitch.

“Yeah, just- a little _sore”,_ she replies shyly, wiggling her weight to reposition his hilt inside of her.

Ben leans close to her and presses the lightest of kisses to her lips. “We’ll be gentle. I won’t hurt you, Rey, I promise”.

The sincere tone in his voice takes her aback. It’s firm, but gentle, a reassurance but also a pledge.

Unsure of how to respond, Rey closes the space between them and sinks into him.

He begins to slowly rut his hips against hers, edging in and out of her in wary, mindful strokes. With every measured thrust, the tinge of pain subsides, and Rey swiftly plummets into bliss.

Her breath rapidly becomes ragged and uneven, and Ben uses her strangled moans as a gauge, quickening the swirl of his strong hips. She prizes her lips away from his to let out a hoarse cry as he hits that oh so sweet spot deep in the pits of her stomach. Ben buries her head in the crook of her neck, moving his hand from her face to lean his weight against the wall, fingers splayed out wide beside her head and tips pressed so hard into the glazed ceramic that it seems as though he will leave permanent craters in his wake.

It takes a measure of time that feels both like seconds and hours for both of them to be stood on the brink of collapse. They stand under the fall of the water, intertwined bodies moving rhythmically with one another, long hair soaked and clinging to their drenched faces, breath panting, clinging to each other like shipwrecked passengers stranded in a stormy sea.

Ben nuzzles his nose into her cheek, murmuring soft endearments and broken lines of poetic adoration. A weak sob that sounds something like his name tumbles from Rey’s chest, she is so desperate to let herself collapse yet so desperate to savour this moment of paradise.

He starts to buck into her harder, pushing deep into her with every stroke.

Rey breaks.

_Shatters_.

A low, guttural scream rips up her throat and every one of her muscles trembles uncontrollably. She feels the walls of her cunt tighten like a vice around Ben’s cock as she lets that sweet release wash over her in a ferocious wave.

“ _Fuck- sweet- Rey”,_ Ben growls against her blazing hot skin as he comes undone with her. Several deep moans rumble through his core as he thrusts three, four, five final times inside of her before his limbs loosen.

Carefully, he lowers Rey back to the floor, onto wobbly legs. Their combined fluids begin to streak down her now burning thighs, to be washed away instantly by the shower’s stream.

He decorates every millimetre of her face with kisses, letting out a small breathy laugh that takes Rey by surprise.

“What?”, she pokes suspiciously.

“You… are an impossibly gorgeous woman”, he murmurs.

Rey playfully nudges him in the ribs, blushing a bright scarlet that is clear even under the glow of their… activities.

Ben positively beams in the knowledge that he has made Rey Niemand _shy_.

⋆ ⋆ ⋆

The pair clean away the traces of both the previous night and that morning. Ben insists on shampooing Rey’s hair for her after displaying a horrified reaction to the heavy-handed method that she adopts; scratching her hands through her chestnut locks and over her scalp ferociously. He adds some sort of thick potion to it that he finds on a high shelf in the bathroom and tenderly brushes his fingers carefully through the lengths, working it into every strand.

They emerge back into the bedroom to find that a pile of fresh, warm clothes awaits them, folded neatly at the end of the four-poster bed. They bundle themselves into the cosy, thick jumpers and jeans and out into the seventh-floor corridor. As it clicks shut behind them, Rey and Ben watch in bewilderment as the door to the mysterious room shrinks, getting smaller and smaller set within the stone until it vanishes entirely.

It is still just about breakfast hours, so they shuffle hurriedly hand in hand toward the Great Hall on the hunt for some tasty food to soothe the pain of the hangover that is creeping over the horizon toward their happy bubble.

Rose’s jubilant waving arm greets them immediately and they sink down at the Hufflepuff table; Rey beside Finn and Hux and Ben beside Rose and Poe.

Rey is a little surprised to see Phasma also sitting with her friends, but then she supposes it makes sense. Ben and Hux had slipped so seamlessly into the dynamics of the group, of _course,_ Phasma would become a part of the furniture too.

Rey finds that she is actually rather excited to get to know the Slytherin Captain a little better as she greets Rey with a wink.

“Good morning!”, Rose says brightly in a sing-song voice as she pushes two large mugs of tea toward them.

“Your chronic enthusiasm for the morning is disturbing”, Ben mutters as he takes a deep gulp of his drink.

Rose smirks at him. “Why so tired Benjamin? Long night?”. She flicks her eyes to Rey.

Poe and Finn exchange a mischievous look.

Phasma rolls her eyes at the immaturity of it all.

Hux looks… well, unperturbed.

Rey feels her cheeks blaze hot scarlet.

“What did you think of the tapestry?”, she continues when it becomes apparent that Ben is not going to stop sipping at his tea and give her an answer.

“It was brilliant”, he says coolly as he swallows hard, “as was the magic vanishing room opposite it”.

Rose grins wide from ear to ear. “So, you _did_ find it! That’s the _Room of Requirement_ and you are _welcome”_ , she grins.

“The what of what?”, Rey queries.

“Room. Requirement”, Rose responds, “Paige discovered it during her fourth year, but she only told me about it just before we came back. Quite the useful little spot, don’t you think?”.

“It’s rather impressive. The magical parameters of such a place. It’s almost like it’s _sentient_. I’d love to truly test the limits of its capabilities”, Ben muses, almost to himself.

“We’ve mostly just been using it for sex”, Poe chimes in.

Finn clasps a hand to his face in embarrassment.

“Oh, so I’m the last to be let in on this little hideaway, am I?”, Rey quips teasingly at Rose.

“You never had use for it”, Rose shrugs, “you’d have only used it as a secret reading room or a place to nap between classes”.

Rey narrows her eyes at her friend for a second, before cracking and nodding in amused agreement.

However, she stashes the idea of a private reading room in the back of her head for a rainy day, mentally thanking Rose for the idea.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone!
> 
> I'm sorry that this update has taken so long. As I said last chapter, my day job is pretty draining right now. But I'm on break for a couple of weeks now, so I'm hoping to get at least the bones of the next few chapters written so all I have to do is refine them!
> 
> Thank you for sticking with this fic, and with me, your time and lovely comments are keeping me going during this crap time!

The final week of term hurtles by in a blur of electric excitement and excelled emotions. Every student within the castles four walls is buzzing with excitement at the looming holiday, so close on the horizon amongst the sleuth of homework and surprise tests that their Professors persist in piling onto them.

Rey cannot muster an ounce of joy concerning the upcoming break. In fact, with every hour that passes her by in the blink of an eye, she descends into a pit of despair that is so deep, so dark, that she doesn’t see how she will ever crawl out of it.

The prospect of spending the Christmas holidays at Hogwarts is, of course, not unfamiliar to Rey, but for some reason, the thought of being alone this year is making her positively miserable. She forces on a brave face, though, not wanting to be a burden to her friends. Every time they speak of their plans to return home, or excitedly count down the days until they are due to embark on the Hogwarts Express, her stomach plummets downward to land somewhere in her feet, and a choking lump forms in her throat.

When Finn asks her over dinner that Friday evening if she really is going to be okay while they’re away, there is a split second where she considers telling him that in fact, no, she would rather they not leave her after all.

But she plasters her widest smile across her face and nods reassuringly, silently berating herself for even contemplating such a selfish ask.

Why was she dreading being left here so much? She had never minded, in fact, she had often even enjoyed the opportunity to be alone, to focus solely on doing nothing but reading and taking lazy naps by the common room fire.

She had even gone so far as to straight-up lie to her friends about her birthday for the last seven years. They thought it fell over the summer holidays when she was in the not so loving care of Plutt. In fact, it was actually right in the middle of the Easter break. She had never wanted to make her friends feel obligated to stay at Hogwarts with her, it was already a fight some years to convince them to leave her behind, and so this small lie that had tumbled from her lips during their first year had therefore been dragged out over all those that followed. Being dishonest with her most loved ones ate away at Rey, but she also would never want them to miss their holidays with their families for her. She had never celebrated her birthday before her life in the wizarding world, so what was she missing, really?

After all, she realises, it’s not the thought of the absence of her friends that is flooding her with dread, but the absence of Ben.

She had been savouring every minute of her time with him this last week, whether it be sneaking tiny looks at him during a study session in the library, admiring the image of him hunched over a book, brow furrowed just a fraction in concentration while his arm slumps round the back of her chair and his fingers trace absentminded circles on the back of her neck. Or holding his hand just a little tighter as he walks her to her dormitory. Or stealing a rushed kiss from him in an empty corridor on their way to class.

She had thought that making the most of these moments would make it easier when the ones in which she had to be without him came around.

She was wrong.

Finn’s voice tears her from her reverie, as the weight starts to become almost unbearable.

“Are you _really_ sure, peanut?”, he says softly, a tiny worry creasing the skin between his eyebrows, “it’s our last Christmas as students and it feels- well- _wrong_ for you to be here on your own”.

Rey forcibly rolls her eyes. “I won’t be _on my own”,_ she emphasises his own words, “Skywalker always stays. Chewie will be here this year. Besides, I’m a big girl, I can keep myself busy- I’ve got a _tonne_ of books to read, I can catch up on studying, and I’ll have the entire Quidditch pitch to myself for a whole two weeks! I wish you guys would hurry up and clear out, really“. She adds a teasing smirk to add gravity to her argument, having never been a particularly great liar.

He smiles half-heartedly, accepting her answer even though he doesn’t look at all convinced, and Rey sighs a tiny huff of relief when Poe arrives to whisk Finn off on their final date of the year. She herself has plans with Ben in their new favourite seventh-floor hideout and so she hurriedly shuffles out of the Great Hall.

Rey races up the Grand Staircase, heart hammering in her chest both in anticipation and at the sheer effort of hurling her weight up the seemingly endless steps. Ben would not be taking the train back to London tomorrow morning with the rest of the school’s students, as was the usual procedure. His mother had insisted on travelling to the castle to pick him up herself, veiling her intentions under the guise of wanting to visit her twin brother and finally see the school that he had poured his heart into for the last few decades of his life. Ben had complained to Rey that he did not wish for Leia to “show up and make a fuss” over him, but she saw right through that little charade. He was counting the seconds until he saw her again, and he was touched that she was making the effort to come all this way, even if the journey would only take her a few seconds via the Floo Network.

It did, however, mean that Rey would not be able to see him in the morning before he left. Leia is an exceptionally efficient woman and had insisted on retrieving her son at 6 am _sharp._

She is not about to waste a single second of this night with him.

⋆ ⋆ ⋆

Ben pounces on Rey the instant the Room of Requirement’s door clicks shut behind them. His soft lips drag hungrily over every inch of her body as he hastily undresses them both and she clings desperately to him in response, not daring to release her vice grip on his arms, his hair, his hips, for even a breath.

Within minutes he is guiding her to the dark bed that sits underneath a circular wooden framed window, casting a sphere of moonlight onto the spot in which he gently lays her down. When Ben lowers himself down to float above her, Rey has the vague thought that his skin looks like marble in the patch of light, so flawless and pale, like he was sculpted rather than born.

Their room is smaller than usual. The bed is almost half its normal size, likely a direct result of Rey’s reluctance to be apart from him tonight. Even sleeping a foot apart in the same bed would be too far a distance for her. She is torn between not wanting him to pick up on this subconscious alteration to their sanctuary and willing him to do exactly that.

As he tenderly ruts his hips against hers, pushing them both closer and closer to that sweet edge with every movement, Ben does not take his eyes off of Rey’s face. His dark, focussed eyes barely even blink as they sweep over her face, as though trying to sear it into his memory. She holds his gaze, bringing her hand up to dust her fingertips delicately along his jawline; to brush them over his wet, swollen lips.

Before long, Rey’s breath is catching in strained, heaving gulps as she crumbles, letting the sensation wash over her in tidal waves. Ben quickly follows her, twisting his fingers through her hair splayed out over the pillow and uttering adoring words into the flushed skin of her neck.

They hold each other for a while, legs intertwined and tangled amongst the sheets, listening to one another’s stuttering heartbeat as they steady, and the dull haze that fills their senses begins to fade.

Ben traces a light trail up the length of her arm and along the curve of her shoulder, before twisting a long lock of her hair around his finger once more and curling it around and around distractedly.

“Did you change your mind? About returning home for the holidays?”, he asks in a measured tone. Almost wary.

The question takes Rey back. She blinks at him once, unsure.

Eventually, she answers, “no- I- I’m staying here”.

“Because you… don’t want to pack?”, he queries. His tone is blank, but Rey understands enough of Ben by now to know that something is nagging at him, just under his stoic surface.

“Yes”, Rey answers. Too quickly. She flinches at the urgency that is laced through her wavering voice.

He stares at her. Or _through_ her. Rey feels his ember flecked eyes boring into hers, directly into her innermost thoughts. His expression is troubled, a tinge of anxiety tugging at the corners of his mouth. The intensity of his gaze makes Rey feel as though he is reading her deepest insecurities, and she feels herself recede under the weight of it.

_Please don’t_ , she tries to tell him silently, trying to mentally make him understand her desire to not delve into this as if she can plant the thought into his mind just by willing it hard enough.

Silently, understandingly, Ben pulls her closer to his chest and presses one gentle kiss to her forehead.

“Are- are you looking forward to seeing your mum and dad?”, she asks in a bid to fill the empty air with something. _Anything._

“It will be… nice to see them”, he says stiffly.

“Will Prof- Luke be joining you at all over the holidays? It has to be the first year in a while that you are all in the same country, right?”, she asks gently.

A faint scowl flashes across Ben’s face, but he quickly corrects it. “I don’t know. Perhaps”.

Then his lips press together tight.

_Right,_ Rey thinks, _still not ready to broach the subject of Uncle Luke._

She can’t hold it against him, really. Had she not just silently begged him not to pry at her true reason for wanting to stay within the comfort of this castle?

“You’re happy to be here on your own, at Christmas?”, he continues, crushing all lingering mention of the Headmaster and bringing the reluctant focus back to her unshared issues.

Rey shrugs, a playful smile tugging on her lips. “I have this new book to read that a secret admirer got me. And I’ll do some flying practise- got a Quidditch Cup to win in a few months”.

He chuckles airily, “do you ever stop thinking about Quidditch?”.

“Sure”, she replies brightly, “sometimes I think about food”.

Ben’s laugh deepens, reaching his stomach now. “Just promise me you won’t be throwing yourself headfirst off the end of your broom again”.

“Listen”, she jibes, “a Seeker’s gotta do what she’s gotta do to win for her team”. She waves her hand in the air above them in a nonchalant gesture and twists one side of her mouth up in a puckish way.

He shakes his head, his dark eyes flitting shut for a second. “It’s just a game, Rey, you don’t need to risk life and limb just for a shiny cup”.

“I don’t think my Captain would quite agree with you”, she cocks an eyebrow at him, “besides, may I remind you that you too are after said shiny cup? You wouldn’t have asked to join the Slytherin team if it was _just a game_ ”.

Ben exhales hard through his nose, his chest quaking in amusement at her words. “I actually didn’t want to be on the team. I didn’t _ask_ to join, anyway- “.

Rey narrows her eyes at him in confusion and tilts her head by way of invitation to continue.

He cuts short and his eyes widen just the tiniest amount, a deep shade of pink flushing the pale skin of his cheeks. Rey knows that he has said something he didn’t intend to. He breaks eye contact, becoming suddenly very interested in a few loose strands of her hair that drape along her pulse point.

“Phasma asked me to step in as Seeker. She gave me a very passionate speech that involved the phrase _“it’s in your blood_ ” approximately 78 times. Initially, I refused. Quodpot was always my dad’s thing- there was a time where I wanted to follow in his footsteps but the more it kept him away from home, the more my love for it faded. As though he had taken it with him... So, I told her I wasn’t interested. But she… convinced me”, he mumbles the last part over his string of quick-paced words.

“I can’t see her being the kind of Captain that takes no for an answer”, Rey responds amusedly, “how did she rope you into it, in the end?”.

Ben’s lips curl into a shy smile. He hesitates for a moment, before saying, “she told me who the Gryffindor Seeker is”, he says in a hushed voice.

Rey’s mouth falls open as she tries to make sense of his words. “Because she knew you would want to go up against me?”, she muses, her tone more confused than accusatory.

“Because she knew I’d jump at the excuse to get close to you”, he says, “because I’d been asking her about you since my first night here. From when I saw you at the welcome feast”.

Rey’s nerves begin to burn hot and she can feel the blood rushing to stain her cheeks an alarming scarlet.

She wants to ask him why- why he had been so hostile to her those first few weeks, then? But her heart sinks when the thought crosses her mind… hadn’t she been just the same?

A thousand questions erupt into Rey’s mind and she frantically tries to arrange them into a list to unload onto him.

But then she decides that it doesn’t matter.

They are here, now. Together. And the events that led them to this point are unimportant.

Rey curls his fingers around the back of Ben’s neck and pulls their lips together in a long, poignant kiss, a promise of no more misunderstandings, no more bravado.

Things would be simple from here on in.

⋆ ⋆ ⋆

Rey tries hopelessly hard to stay awake, not wanting to miss a moment of her last night with Ben for a while. But sleep has other plans, reaching out to wrap its warm arms around her and pull her into its dark depths. As she sinks, she makes Ben promise that he won’t leave without saying goodbye.

In what feels like mere minutes later, she feels Ben’s lips brush against her temple, her cheek, the palm of her hand, as he whispers something, though it is incoherent to her through the thick fog of sleep. He is dressed now; she can feel the wool of his heavy jumper sleeve against her bare skin.

It can’t be time, yet…

“I’ll miss you”, she grumbles in her groggy state, not even sure that the sounds falling from her mouth make any sense.

Ben’s voice hums low, still indistinguishable. Something that sounds like “-miss you too, sweetheart- I leave you”.

Another ghostly kiss heats her forehead, and then he is gone.

When Rey awakes properly, the circle of moonlight on the bed has been replaced with grey winter morning light. She instinctively reaches for Ben, before coming to her senses and remembering that she will not find him there.

Tears begin to well in her eyes instantly, but she shakes them off, cursing herself for being so silly.

She throws on last night’s clothes and shuffles hastily from the Room of Requirement, finding no desire to be there alone for any length of time.

⋆ ⋆ ⋆

The trek from the very peak of the castle to the outermost boundary of its grounds takes seemingly a handful of minutes this morning. Rey descends the Grand Staircase with Finn and Poe, neither of whom have packed much more than a backpack each, the majority of them rammed full of presents ready for Christmas morning. They reunite with Rose, Hux and Phasma in the Entrance Hall and shove their way through the towering doors, into the flawless snowy scene beyond.

Rose does not let go of Rey for the whole journey, linking their arms together tight and nattering about how she will write to her as soon as she arrives home, and then every day through the holidays. Rey makes her voice high and teasing, telling her sweet Hufflepuff friend that she will be interrupting her peace and quiet.

The friends battle through the snow, which is piled halfway up their shins. Rey normally takes deep joy in kicking her legs through snow this deep and watching it explode in flurries of white dust, but today she just finds it irritating to navigate. So irate is she by the stupid weather, that she flinches when Rose stops dead in her tracks. She snaps her head up to find they have already reached the driverless carriages that would then take the students to Hogsmeade Station.

Her stomach lurches, but she forces herself to turn to Rose, a beaming grin etched into her face.

“Try not to miss me too much!”, Rey laughs and pulls her small frame into a tight hug. Rose wraps her arms around her and squeezes their bodies together to a point it is almost painful.

Suddenly there is a large circle of warm bodies surrounding them, closing them into its centre. Rey’s friends all pull one another into a giant embrace and just stand together as one being for a few moments. She is sure she can even smell Hux’s fresh linen scented aftershave somewhere over her left shoulder.

“Okay- you guys are going to miss the train, and I can’t have you ruining my time off by getting stuck here!”, Rey groans mockingly.

The group separates and exchange a final few hugs and tender hand squeezes as they board the large, black wooden carriage.

Rey watches as it glides through the snow, waving the whole time until it becomes nothing more than a dark speck in the distance.

The second the carriage is out of sight, a shiver trembles through Rey’s body. She spins in the snow and begins the trudge back to the warmth of the castle. This time, she lashes out at the heavy white blanket around her legs with every stride, punishing it for even daring to get in her way.

She walks for what feels like _hours_. Hadn’t this exact same route taken 30 bloody seconds just now?

When she eventually crosses the threshold back inside the castle, she instantly heads for Gryffindor Tower, wanting to be nowhere other than her bed right now. The tall stone walls and stairways are eerily quiet, her every step booming through the air in cracking, stone shattering echoes. Rey had never thought this place as being _quiet_ , even when it was empty for holidays. She had always marvelled at the opportunity to explore the passageways and rooms with absolute freedom. To add a new secret to her mental map of her home.

But now, it feels like a graveyard. Soulless. Empty.

Hot tears begin to streak down her cheeks as she barrels through the common room at a sprint, and up to her dormitory. Rey throws herself onto her perfectly made bed, curling her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them.

She lets the tears fall freely then. They pour down her red patched face, soaking into her hair and leaving uneven blotches on her pillow.

She tries to think of her last few moments with Ben. He had kept his promise and had said goodbye to her, but she wishes more than anything she had been properly awake to return it. The vague, unclear memory of his last words ring in her ears. What was it he had been saying?

_I leave you._

Leave?

Rey cries and cries, until exhaustion takes root in her heart, and she is yanked into unconsciousness once more, although this cruel, icy tendril of sleep is a far cry from the warm, comforting embrace that had enveloped her just hours ago.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas everyone!
> 
> I really wanted to get this chapter up today for you all as a thank you for being so kind and giving your time to read this fic. There are so many beautiful fics out there, so the fact that there are people who choose to read mine makes me do a little happy cry.
> 
> I also know that Christmas can be a particularly hard time of year for everyone, myself included, so please know that I am always here if you need a friend. You're not alone.
> 
> Sending you all lots of love x

Rey awakes with her face buried deep into the plush folds of her pillow, disorientated, questioning for how many years she slept. As awareness creeps back into her limbs, she notes the odd sensation of someone tugging timidly at the sleeve of her shirt.

She lifts her head and forces open one heavy, weary eyelid to peer at whatever it is that has snagged the fabric on her arm.

Or whoever.

Stood beside her sprawling four-poster bed is Artoo, one of Hogwarts many house elves, and Rey’s personal favourite. He had often bought her soup, or cheese toasties, during a late-night study session in the library, or shuffled over to her in the Great Hall to load up her plate with extra bacon the morning of a big Quidditch match. He was an exceptionally kind, but mischievous little elf, his rough skin a strange mix of palest white and beautiful undertones of blue. He peeks at her through his oversized, lamp-like eye with a soft, caring smile on his wide mouth that instantly warms Rey’s heart and lifts her spirits.

“Artoo?”, she murmurs while shifting her weight upright to sit cross-legged atop her bed, “what are- what’s wrong?”.

“Nothing, Miss”, he squeaks in a high pitched, birdsong voice, “it’s dinner time, is all, and Artoo noticed that Miss Rey was not there… she is never normally late for dinner”.

“I was just taking a nap- lost track of time. Thank you, Artoo, I’ll be down in a minute”, she flashes a crinkle eyed smile at the tiny elf.

Artoo bows his head, and with a sharp _crack,_ vanishes from sight.

Rey swings her legs over the edge of her bed with a heavy sigh, before throwing on a slightly less… well-worn set of clothes and dragging her misery drenched carcass downstairs to dinner.

The house tables within the Great Hall have been removed, except for one that runs down the centre of the room. Even the teachers' table is gone, with the remaining Professors choosing to sit dotted amongst the students. The resulting empty space around the room has been filled with even more Christmas decorations, the hall looks like an orchard with the amount of twinkling snow-covered trees that line its walls. A very thin sprinkling of enchanted snow blankets the stone floor, and the bewitched ceiling still appears as though they are stood outside under heavy snowfall, although neither the cold of the outdoors nor the icy droplets ever touch upon the skin of the hall’s guests.

Rey thinks to herself in a grumbly voice that it’s all a little excessive, even though she actually thinks the Great Hall looks more beautiful than she has ever seen it. She thumps down into a seat a little way down from Professor Jarrus and Jacen Syndulla, who chat excitedly about the upcoming arrival of their missing member. Jacen’s mother, Hera, had never visited the castle for any length of time, and so it seems that the two men are in the midst of forming an intricate, lengthy tour of every inch of the place. It sounds as though there will not be a single portrait within Hogwarts that the men won’t have introduced to her to by the end of the week. Rey can’t help but smile warmly at their joy before a coldness washes over her again.

She unceremoniously tosses some roast potatoes onto the plate in front of her, not really having much of an appetite for anything else. She rests her head in one hand atop the wooden table and flings one of the crispy golden lumps into her mouth whole, chewing slowly on it.

Rey devours another, then another, planning to fill her stomach and then honestly, head back to the comfort of her bed for the foreseeable future.

As she reaches for a second helping, a familiar, heavenly voice speaks low from just behind her shoulder. It sends a jolt of electricity rocketing from the soles of her feet, up her spine and tingling over her scalp.

“Is this seat taken?”, it asks.

She freezes for a second. Surely, she has imagined it. He can’t…

She whips her head round to look up at him, standing with his arms hanging awkwardly at his sides.

Rey is out of her seat before she even realises what she is doing. She clumsily clambers to a standing position and then using the bench as a springboard, _launches_ herself at Ben, who catches her weight without faltering. She wraps her arms around his neck and her legs around his torso and clings to him with every ounce of strength she has, scrunching up her eyes to try and halt the tears that are threatening to spill from them. Ben buries his face in the crook of her neck and rocks her from side to side soothingly, just the tiniest of movements.

She is aware that most likely every pair of eyes in the room is on them but could not care less. They stand suspended, holding on to one another for dear life, for hours, weeks, it feels.

“What are you doing here? Your family-”, she gasps, trying not to explode into a flurry of tears once more, and failing miserably.

Ben gently places her back on her feet, keeping her upright when she wobbles with giddiness. He takes her hand and guides her back into her seat, brushing the hairs knocked loose by their reunion back into their place.

“Ben- what- “, she beams at him.

“I realised that I was needed- and desired to be- elsewhere”, he says softly, tucking the final few strands of rogue hair behind her ear.

“But your mum- “, she starts.

“-is enjoying some alone time with my father, a luxury they have not been afforded for a long while now. They’re fine. In fact, I would have been here sooner if I hadn’t needed to calm her down through her hysterics. She, erm- says I have to- to tell you that she can’t wait to meet you”. His own hair, still dishevelled from Rey propelling herself at him, gives a glimpse at the tips of his now bright pink ears.

Rey instinctively looks over to Headmaster Skywalker, who sits with Professors Tano and Kenobi. Luke lifts the wine goblet that rests in his hand in a subtle toast to her, before winking and taking a deep swig of the crimson liquid within. Tano and Kenobi follow his line of sight to her, before exchanging a knowing look and clinking their own glasses together in a silent salute.

With her insatiable appetite suddenly back with a vengeance, Rey loads up both her and Ben’s plate with double helpings of everything that the dinner spread has to offer; vegetables, huge slices of chicken and steak pie, pork chops, pasta, it all gets piled high under their noses. The pair eat to their heart's content but never let go of each other’s hand under the table for a single second.

⋆ ⋆ ⋆

The night of his return, Ben makes Rey wait around a corner of the seventh-floor hallway, while he stands in front of the blank stone wall that conceals the Room of Requirement. He stands statue-still before it, eyes closed softly and face peaceful, yet concentrated. He waits… and when he senses the faintest change in the air around him, peeks through one eye at the small, weathered wooden door that now sits set within the stone, as though it has always been there.

The sound of his self-congratulatory chuckle serves as Rey’s signal to emerge from her spot, far enough away that her thoughts cannot influence whatever form Ben wishes the room to take tonight. As she rounds the corner, he is already extending one hand out to her invitingly, an angelic smile on his perfect face.

Rey weaves her fingers through his and pushes open the rickety door.

An involuntary gasp escapes her lips as she steps inside. A far cry from their usual hideaway, the scene within is a small, cosy log cabin, plucked straight from the cover of a Christmas card. A log fire roars on the right side of the room, a battered but cosy looking sofa placed in front of it, reminiscent of the Gryffindor Common Room’s lounge that Rey had lost so many hours in with her friends. On the left, a tempting bed, encased in red drapes that match the exact shade of the sofa. The bedspread looks so soft, so delicate, that Rey has the sudden urge to dive face-first into it and mess it up. A narrow wooden door, old and battered like the entrance, rests on one side of the bed, presumably to a bathroom, and a tall, twinkling Christmas tree on the other. Gone are the stone walls, replaced with thick, dark wood logs, piled neatly on top of each other and up to the slanted ceiling. They are cut in perfectly straight lines to leave a small gap for a window that overlooks the old beech tree, looking wistfully out onto the frozen lake.

The pair stare open-mouthed around the room. Rey finds it hard to believe that this idyllic, picturesque cabin, plucked from the heights of a snow-blanketed mountain, or a rich oil painting, can actually be on the seventh floor of the castle’s tower.

Rey and Ben spend every breath of the next few days in this new home, emerging only for long walks through the icy grounds and to gorge themselves on delicious dinner in the Great Hall. The need to attend breakfast becomes redundant, as they find on their first morning and each that follows, that a tray of fruit, toast and warm baked goods have been left in the hallway outside. A note scrawled in clumsy handwriting reads, ‘Headmaster Skywalker asked of Artoo to leave Miss Rey and Mister Ben some breakfast. Please enjoy’.

On their second morning, the note that accompanies their porridge and bread rolls is simply an adorable stick figure sketch of Artoo wearing a cheery Santa hat, a red love heart etched above his beaming face.

The days that follow merge into one blissful, euphoric blur. When the couple are not losing themselves in the comfort of one another’s body, they read silently in front of the glowing fire or engage in a dozen games of heated, competitive wizards’ chess.

So completely does Rey lose herself in these timeless days, that when she awakes one morning to find a stack of presents piled at the end of her bed, she thinks there must be a mistake.

She looks to the ceiling, twisting her mouth open on one side in concentration, counting the days backwards in her head, as she realises with a squeak…

“Ben! It’s Christmas!”.

He sits up, pressing a kiss to the curve of her neck with a smile, before spotting a small pile of gifts at the foot of his side of the bed.

“I told them not to send anything”, he murmurs to himself with a faint groan.

Rey turns her head to flash him a smile, scrunching her nose up in amusement at his slight discomfort. Then she dives forward to scoop the parcels into her arms and cross the room to drop onto the sofa.

Ben shuffles across the dark wooden floor to sit beside her as she inspects each present, giggling to herself. Rose had clearly wrapped the boys presents for them; they are all topped with an opalescent, beautiful ribbon and wrapped in the same paper- glittering red with tiny white reindeer zooming around its surface.

She tears into Finn’s present first, her mouth-watering instantly at the sight of all the delicious treats inside. Rey suppresses the temptation to indulge in just one handful of Bertie Bott’s beans, just one sugar quill, before moving on to Poe’s parcel. A broom servicing kit. _Classic,_ she thinks with an airy laugh, she had gotten him the exact same thing.

Rey glances up to Ben, who is in the process of wrapping a beautiful, thick scarf around his neck. A note lays in his lap that reads-

‘ _Your Uncle tells us it gets cold up there! Merry Christmas. We love you. We are proud of you. Mom x”._

Beneath Leia’s neat lettering, is the scruffier handwriting of Han.

‘ _Happy Christmas, kid. Love, Dad_ ’.

Once Ben has engulfed himself in the scarf, he buries his face in it until only his eyes are visible, softly rubbing his cheek against the fluffy, soft fabric. He lifts the note from its resting place and stares at it, running his wide, now childlike eyes over his parent’s words over and over, soaking them in.

Rey considers reaching out to him but opts to leave him safe within whatever reverie he has fallen into. She returns to her own pile of gifts, diving into a divine new eagle feather quill from Jannah and some bright green socks from Kaydel, dotted in tiny Christmas elves that shriek out carols intermittently. Rey shoves them onto her feet immediately, stretching out her legs and wiggling her toes inside their fleece lining as she giggles at the funny little figures.

She warily checks in on Ben, still with his face pressed deep into the layers of the scarf. A lush peacock feather quill now lays atop his thigh while he runs his fingers over the cover of a small leather-bound journal, midnight blue with intricate, shimmering gold constellations stitched throughout it. Ben traces one finger across the trail of one of the golden strings, right to the edge of the journal, before flipping it open to its first page.

On the inside page is a looping, flaring style of writing that is familiar to Rey, although she can’t quite place it at first. She strains her eyes to read the note, though it is hard to decipher through its showy curves and flicks.

_‘For your writing. I hope one day to see what brilliance you create. Your Uncle Luke’._

At the recognition of the gifter, Rey looks to Ben’s face, expecting to find it cold or upset. Instead, he has a warm smile spread across it, although the worry crease between his eyes remains a little pronounced.

She once again decides to leave him in his thoughts, not wanting to intrude on the contemplative look in his eyes, but instinctively she leans just an inch closer to him, and he unconsciously mirrors her movement.

Rey slides her finger under the seam of paper that seals Rose’s small, rectangular package. She relinquishes the contents from the deep blue paper and her breath hitches in her throat.

In her hands is a beautiful gold antique frame, made of swirling, delicate filigree metalwork. Staring up at her from the frame is her own face, eyes wrinkled in laughter and slightly too large teeth flashing brightly. Her arms are thrown around the shoulders of Rose, Finn and Poe, who are also doubled over and roaring with pure joy.

They are so young in this photo, taken outside of Chewie’s hut just before the Christmas break of their first year. Each of them is at least a foot shorter than they are now, with much rounder, cherub shaped faces.

It is not the usual enchanted moving photograph that Rey has grown so accustomed to in the wizarding world, but a still one. Finn’s adoptive parents had sent him to Hogwarts with a Muggle camera, and the instruction to capture as much of his new life as possible to show them when he returned. The whimsical, stagnant images that it produced had absolutely fascinated Poe and Rose, both of whom hailed from ‘pure blood’ families and had never spent any notable time amongst the Muggle world. They had spent days dashing around the castle, taking photos of anything and everything to show to Finn’s parents, all while asking one hundred questions a minute about the mysteries of non-magical society. It had been one of the things that solidified their friendships for life, and they had taken this photo on the last day of term, with a promise to be the very best of friends, forever.

Rey runs the pad of her thumb over her friend’s young, joyful faces, a warm affectionate glow swirling in her chest and tears forming along the waterlines of her eyes.

Ben leans over to see what has left her so in awe and his face cracks into a wide smile. He gazes down admiringly at the tiny incarnation of Rey and her friends, before looking up at her and tenderly brushing away the one treacherous tear that has escaped from its place.

She does not meet his eyes, continuing to look lovingly at the faces in her hands.

Before Rey knows what she is doing, the words are pouring from her lips. “I was so… _lost_ when Luke first bought me here- so _lonely,_ Ben. I wish- wish they knew how grateful I am to have found them- to _be_ found by them- and how much I love them”. She inhales one deep, steadying breath.

Ben wraps an arm around her shoulders and pulls her close to him, kissing her on the top of the head and then burying his face in her hair.

“They already know, trust me”, he whispers.

She nestles into the warmth of his body, so large and sinewy but also so soft, still staring at Rose’s touching gift, and then-

“Oh no!”, she shrieks, “Ben! I didn’t get you anything!”.

“What?”, he replies, his tone utterly blank in shock.

“A present- I didn’t- I’m the worst- “, she stammers, but is cut short by the heavy shake of his chest, rattling with humour.

Ben pulls away from her, curling his fingers around her jaw to cup it and lift it to bring their eyes level.

“Rey, you have already given me-”, he begins.

She shakes her head rapidly from side to side. “But I mean a proper present, I don’t have anything to give you!”, she exclaims.

“Of course you have, sweetheart”, he hums, silencing any further protest with his lips on hers.

⋆ ⋆ ⋆

The pair shower, which takes three times as long as it should due to Ben becoming… distracted when rinsing the soapy suds from Rey’s body, and practically skip down to the Great Hall, hand in hand. Rey purposefully, but nonchalantly, takes a seat beside Headmaster Skywalker at the single table, leaving Ben to sit opposite them.

He beams at the two of them, a bright red Santa hat plopped neatly on top of his head. “Merry Christmas to you both!”, he bellows, patting Rey affectionately on the shoulder and then leaning over to fill up Ben’s empty goblet.

Ben lifts his glass to toast Luke. “Merry Christmas, Uncle. Thank you for the gift, it was very thoughtful of you. I think I’ve already mentally filled at least half of it”, he smiles shyly.

“I’m sure that you have! I do hope you will share your wonderful work with us- Rey, did you know that our Ben is a greatly gifted writer?”, Skywalker boasts to her, sat beside him soaking in the utter joy she feels at seeing them interact so… normally.

“I didn’t, Headmaster!”, she grins encouragingly, whipping her head between the two men.

“Please- none of this _Headmaster_ \- call me Luke _-_ it’s my week off!”, he chuckles, “yes, Ben is quite the excellent wordsmith. He writes the most beautiful poetry”.

Rey turns to look at Ben, who has turned quite a vivid hue of scarlet but is smiling timidly, nonetheless.

He seems to be _enjoying_ hearing this from his uncle, and it makes Rey’s heart just about bursts with happiness.

“Thank you”, Ben says quietly as he takes a deep swig of his drink.

“And your Professors tell me that they’re very impressed with how you’ve settled into your first term. Obi-Wan has said a number of times that you have produced some of the most magnificent magic he has seen in all his years- between you and Rey he believes we have the two greatest wizards of our time under our roof… and how wonderful to see you getting involved in Quidditch- you could give Han a run for his money-!”, Luke continues to babble to Ben, who downs and refills his glass twice before Luke even stops for breath.

“-Just a shame that he’s such a sore sight to look at, isn’t it Rey?”, he finishes, nudging Rey in the ribs and winking playfully. She snorts amusedly in response. A low rumble of amusement also radiates from Ben and he tops up all the half-drunk goblets around him.

Luke interrupts his stream of boasting about his nephew to wish the students and staff a very merry Christmas. Then he claps his hands together once, summoning a feast so magnificent that Rey thinks her eyes may burst from her skull.

Laid out before them is piles of steaming vegetables, golden Yorkshire puddings, meat sliced so thick that she wonders if she will physically be able to cut through it. The smell overwhelms her senses. It’s otherworldly, homely and rich, and her mouth begins to instantly water uncontrollably.

Rey piles her plate with two of everything that the silver platters have to offer, intermittently shoving a parsnip or potato into her mouth to satiate her suddenly rumbling stomach while she stacks up the mountain of food before her. She tops it off with as much thick gravy as the dish can hold, then dives into her feast.

She is chewing on her seventh Yorkshire pudding when she becomes aware of Ben staring at her in utter bewilderment. She freezes hunched over the table, fork full of carrots hanging in mid-air.

“What?”, she asks warily.

“How does someone so tiny pack away so much food? I don’t know how you don’t choke”, he replies.

At first, Rey think that he might be staring at her in disgust, but the look on his face is more undying respect. Admiration.

“Rose always says the same thing- she says the only thing that Rey loves more than Quidditch is food”, the cheerful voice of Jacen Syndulla chips in as he himself shovels a large helping of stuffing into his face.

It is then that Rey notices the woman sat beside him and Professor Jarrus for the first time. She smiles fondly at her when their eyes meet, and Rey swallows her food slowly.

Rey thinks to herself that Jacen’s mother must surely be one of the most beautiful humans she has ever seen, with pale green hair that tumbles in perfect waves down to her waist, and kind, deep aqua pools for eyes.

“Oh- mum, this is Rey, she’s the Gryffindor seeker! Rey, this is mum”, Jacen introduces brightly.

“Hello, Rey, I’m Hera”, she replies, “it’s nice to finally meet you. I’ve heard you are quite the Quidditch talent”.

Rey grins at Hera Syndulla, unusually shy but finding herself positively ecstatic at the prospect of _this_ witch being somewhat impressed to meet _her_.

The Christmas revellers stuff their bellies until they are on the brink of bursting. When their feasting is complete, they chat amongst themselves, drinking and reminiscing on the year behind them. Professor Jarrus diverts his family’s conversation to the subject of their week's plans, and the elaborate tour they have planned together. Tomorrow, a winter walk around the lake, although, Jacen adds with a sigh, it’s a shame it’s frozen over and they won’t be able to spot the giant squid that inhabits it.

An idea snaps into Rey’s head and she physically jumps in her seat. Ben eyes her concernedly, quickly flickering his gaze over her body to check for injury or cause for alarm.

She hops out of her seat, leaning over the table to peck him quickly on the cheek.

“I have to get something, I’ll send for you, goodnight everyone!”, she calls over her shoulder as she practically sprints from the room, leaving Ben staring dumbfounded after her.

⋆ ⋆ ⋆

Rey hurtles up the Grand Staircase, shouting out cheerful Christmas greetings to various portraits on her path in a sing-song voice. She gives the password to the Fat Lady through heaving breaths and throws herself through the portrait hole and up to her dormitory.

When she emerges into the circular tower room, she stands with her hands on her hips for a second and pants slow, deep breaths, gathering her thoughts for what she needs to retrieve from the bedroom. She grabs her winter jacket from off the back of the entrance door and pulls it on, her mind formulating a plan.

“Artoo?”, she calls out into the dim, ebbing light cast by the fire dancing in the central chimney. She had never tried this before, didn’t even know if the elf would-

_Crack._

“Did you call for Artoo, Miss Rey?”, the high-pitched voice rings through the silent room.

“I have a favour to ask”, she says brightly and is met by the most elated of grins.

Rey imparts her request onto Artoo, who claps his hands in glee and then disappears with another shattering _crack._ She drops to her knees in front of her battered old trunk and flings open its lid to begin rummaging inside of it. With a loud _‘a-ha!’,_ she closes her hand around the thick tartan blanket that Chewie had knitted for her during her second year and folds it over her arm. Then she pulls her wand from the loophole of her jeans and lets it hang loosely in her hand.

She closes her eyes, takes one steadying inhale, and waves her wand expertly through the air in one elegant sweeping motion.

Silently, the silvery form of her doe Patronus bursts from the tip of her wand, leaping one joyful lap around the room in a few short, graceful strides before settling to stand before her.

“Find Ben”, she tells it excitedly, but politely, “please tell him _‘meet me by our tree’”._

The doe bows its head once, slowly, then bounds through the door. Rey follows, hurrying down the stairs after it, led by the charms brilliant glow illuminating everything around it even as it runs out of her view. She takes the entire run of stairs two at a time, her tongue poking out of the corner of her mouth in concentration as she tries not to fall head over heels down all seven floors. She pushes on, eventually skidding to a halt in the Entrance Hall. She is stood still for no more than one second when that familiar _crack_ alerts her to Artoo’s arrival behind her, and Rey spins on her heel to face him.

“Here you go, Miss!”, he says enthusiastically as he holds out a large hot flask to her. Even before she takes it from his long, skeletal fingers, she can feel the heat within radiating onto her skin.

“Thank you Artoo!”, she flashes a toothy grin at him then sets off again, calling over her shoulder as she shoves her way through the door and into the snow, “I owe you one!”.

The elf vanishes again, making a note to himself with a giggle to make sure the grounds torches stay lit tonight to guide Rey home.

⋆ ⋆ ⋆

When Ben arrives a short while after, new scarf wrapped tightly around his neck, kicking the ever-increasing depths of snow out of his way in wide strides, Rey is already sat cross-legged on the red patterned blanket and pouring out two large servings of the hot chocolate that Artoo had so kindly prepared for her. She watches Ben’s approach, thinking to herself that the contrast of his looming, dark figure against the delicate white snow is ethereal like something plucked from one of the castles most stunning paintings.

He sinks to sit beside her, taking one of the mugs of piping chocolate from her with a grateful smile.

“What’s this?”, he asks with a smirk and takes a sip.

“Just a little Christmas treat”, Rey chimes enthusiastically.

“It sort of looks like a date”, he says, continuing to warm himself with small sips of his drink through his cheeky smile.

Rey cocks an eyebrow at him, “I think a first date is meant to happen _before_ you do the dirty”.

He breaths one chuckle through his nose. “You’re probably right. Fuck, I am a terrible boyfriend, aren’t I?”.

Rey’s chest jolts as the air leaves her lungs in an instant.

Ben notices the motion and his face drops when he realises why. He recoils a little, as though waiting for her to deal a devastating blow in reaction.

“What?”, she breathes, words escaping her entirely.

“What?”, he repeats dazedly, bringing the old Muggle phrase ‘ _a deer in headlights’_ to Rey’s mind.

She inhales one deep gulp of air, then her face breaks into a smile so inhumanly wide, that there may be a genuine risk of bodily harm. “Are you my _boyfriend,_ Ben Solo?”, she half laughs half squeaks.

“I- erm- well, yes”, he stutters, blood rushing to his pale cheeks, “if you would like, that is”.

Rey places the tin mug down on the ground and lunges forward onto her knees. She grabs either side of his face between her hands, dainty but firm, and presses her lips to his in answer.

She can feel the curve of his lips smiling against hers and breaks away to admire the boyish expression on his face.

“I’ll take that as a yes”, he chuckles.

Rey nuzzles the tip of her nose against his, then springs to her feet and stretches one hand down to him, although even with him sitting she is still only a little over a foot taller than him.

He takes her hand without a word, rising to his feet also and letting her guide him to the edge of the lake. She releases his hand and slides her wand from the inside pocket of her jacket, bending down to tap it lightly once against her shoes. Instantly she is lifted upward a few inches as her comfiest high-tops are transfigured to now have long blades that run down the centre of their soles. This isn’t a particularly tricky spell, and Rey had had plenty of practice over the winters skating across the lake, but she is still slyly impressed with herself at the skilful transfiguration.

Rey steps one skate onto the sheet of ice that hugs the surface of the lake and pushes off from the snow with the other.

She is instantly incensed with a sensation of weightlessness akin to flying. Of freedom. She stretches her arms out to her sides and glides along the ice gracefully, revelling in the arctic wind whipping through the lengths of her loose hair. She lets the momentum guide her forward, spinning her body back round to face Ben as she comes to a natural stop about twenty feet away from him.

Ben hovers where the smooth ice meets fluffy snow, staring at her with undeniable fear in his eyes.

Rey extends her hand to him once more, an invitation.

He doesn’t budge.

She propels herself forward once more until she stands inches from him, separated by the water’s edge.

“I, er- I can’t- I’ve never- “, he says nervously, eyes fixed on his shoes.

Rey bends to transfigure his heavy winter boots. When she straightens up, she takes both of his warm hands in her own and looks up at him reassuringly.

“I won’t let you fall”, she says softly and takes a small step backwards.

Ben lets her guide him onto the ice, a petrified look still haunting his face. He wobbles as he takes a few over-cautious steps and Rey instinctively tightens her hold on him.

“That’s it”, she says encouragingly, leaning her own weight backwards to float along the smooth surface and drag him along in her path. “Now just push your feet in diagonal lines, start with small steps while you find your balance”, she murmurs, switching her focus to join his, still on his shoes.

He falters a little at first, but then he falls quickly into the rhythm of rocking his weight from side to side. Rey beams with pride and gently releases one of his hands. He nervously grabs for it, and she says soothingly, “it’s okay, it’s okay, you’ve got it!”.

She pivots her body to skate alongside him now, watching closely between his footwork and his face intently. The fear in his eyes fades to concentration, each stride getting bigger and more confident, until he lets go of her hand entirely, and then he is _soaring_.

Rey grinds to a halt and watches him fly in a wide loop around her. He circles her once, twice, still a tad shaky- Rey braces to shoot to his side a few times when it looks as though he will fall crashing through the ice- but getting steadier all the time. He holds his arms out to his side to balance his towering form and throws his head back, letting the light flurry of snow that cascades all around them caress his face.

Watching him grow more comfortable with every second, Rey is reminded of the first time she ever saw him on a broom. So graceful and poised that it seemed almost impossible from someone of his overwhelming size.

On his third lap, Rey catches the tail end of deep, joyous laughter pouring from his soul as he whizzes past her.

If they were destined to never see one another again after this night, this is how Rey would remember him for the rest of her days. Utterly free and happy, the weight of his family name, _names,_ banished from his shoulders.

She loves this boy so much she can barely stand it.

Ben glides toward her, his arms outstretched to her as a silent plea to catch him. Rey clasps his hands back in hers as he comes to a gradual stop in front of her, and he glows as he meets her gaze, flashing her a radiant smile.

They stand in silence, absorbing one another’s joy for a quiet moment. Then he slides one hand to cup her jaw and wraps the other around the small of her back to pull her close against his chest. She brings her own hands up to brush the snow-dusted hair from his eyes, then rests her palms flat against his broad chest. Even through his thick coat, Rey can feel his heart pounding in exhilaration.

He holds her body close, their lips an inch from touching, and brushes the pad of his thumb along the curve of her cheekbone as his bright eyes search hers.

“Merry Christmas, Ben”, she breathes.

“Merry Christmas, sweetheart”, he says, and presses a soft kiss to her lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This could be the shortest angst trip ever? But I just couldn't bring myself to leave Rey sad for too long, and I don't think any of us need any more misery in our lives currently amirite?


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! This update has taken a little longer than I hoped but the last few weeks have flown by!
> 
> Thank you for all of your lovely feedback on our Christmas chapter, it truly brightened my holidays seeing how much you enjoyed it.

“ _Boxing Day?”,_ Ben repeats slowly the following morning, his brow knitted together in confusion and lips parted questioningly.

“Boxing Day”, Rey affirms with a single nod of her head and a warm smile.

“Are we… going to have to _fight_ someone?”, Ben asks hesitantly, his voice barely above a bewildered whisper as he shifts in the bed to prop his weight up on one elbow. The bed's blankets shimmy down to drape over his hip bone, barely covering his totally naked lower half.

Rey’s eyes scrunch tight in amusement and a wide grin yanks her lips back over her teeth. “No fighting. Today is… actually, I don’t know what it’s _for,_ exactly. But it’s basically an excuse to eat a second roast dinner so I’m a big fan!”.

He reciprocates her bright smile and reaches to play idly with her fingers laying relaxed, curled skyward in her lap. Rey sits cross-legged atop the bed beside him, wrapped up in one of Ben’s gigantic sweaters that she had haphazardly thrown on to dive into the bathroom when she awoke, soaking in the scent of him that blankets it. One freckle dusted shoulder is exposed, peeking out of the thick knit fabric that hangs loosely off her small frame.

The thought hadn’t even occurred to Rey that Ben wouldn’t know what Boxing Day is. She had always just assumed that _everyone_ was familiar with the routine of spending the day immediately after Christmas eating leftover food, taking long wintery walks and snoozing in front of a brilliant fire. She’s truthfully surprised to learn that it appears to be a mostly English tradition.

For every year since her arrival at Hogwarts, Rey had spent this day wandering around the snowy grounds, helping Chewie and the other Professors with any tasks they might need assistance with, visiting the owls, practising her spell work. It was a day to spend solely as she pleased, on herself. But she supposes the company this year isn’t _so_ bad. And she already knows exactly what she wants to show him first.

“So”, Ben muses thoughtfully but still with a trace of a smile on his lips, “what _are_ we doing today?”

“Well,”, she matches the rhythm of his speech, “I thought we could take a walk. There’s something I’d like to show you?”. A question, seeking his approval, rather than a statement.

Ben shifts up to now hold his weight propped up with one hand. With the other, he hooks his thumb and fingers around the curve of her jaw and pulls her face within millimetres of his.

Rey’s breath catches in her throat at his sudden proximity, and he notices the stunned look in her eyes with a smirk and a brisk peck on her lips.

“Sounds good”, he purrs, “but first things first”.

He closes the gap between them, pressing his lips firmly to hers and wrapping one arm around the small of her back. With one swift, effortless movement, he leans both of their bodies backwards until he is lying flat, and lifts Rey to sit on top of him, positioning her legs to straddle his wide torso. She starts a little when she is met with the sensation of his cock, already rock hard, brushing gently at that sweet spot between her thighs. It sends an immediate, burning surge of heat through her stomach and spreading rapidly out to her fingertips, radiating from the point of contact. Rey is a woman possessed. She grabs a desperate fistful of his hair in an attempt to ground herself and pushes her mouth down on his, rolling her tongue into his mouth forcefully, asking for no invitation.

Ben matches her intensity, groaning into her mouth as she starts to grind her hips against his, stroking the increasing slickness of her cunt against the length of his cock, up and down in a slow, heavy rhythm. His inhales become sharp and ragged and he catches his teeth on the flesh of Rey’s swollen bottom lip, which curves up into a smile at his reaction.

Rey slides her hand down between his exposed chest and her sweater-clad one and wraps her fingers around his shaft, coaxing a shudder to quake through Ben’s muscles. She breaks from their kiss, pushes onto her knees and tilts her body upward, bringing the very tip of him in line with her entrance, pressing pleadingly against her. Carefully, she lowers herself down, guiding the flushed pink skin of his cock into her cunt, slowly, cautiously, taking deep breaths as her walls stretch to accommodate him. There’s no tinge of pain anymore, in fact, as she takes more and more of him, her nerves endings are set ablaze, her entire body humming, welcoming him.

Rey sinks further… further… until she is filled with Ben to the root. He stares straight into her eyes, his own somewhere between glassy and intensely focussed, his mouth hanging agape in bewilderment.

An idea- no, an _urge-_ floods through every one of her senses, but she hesitates for a moment. He senses her uncertainty and brings his hands up to cup either side of her face, his brow twitching the tiniest amount in concern.

Rey decides to go for it, leaning down to seal her lips over his once more and as she does so, rocks her hips forward to slide Ben back out of her, almost entirely. She feels his face crease against hers, his lips jutting out into a pout even with hers pressed against them.

Then she lets her weight sink back down on top of him, pushing his cock right back into her as far as she can take in one smooth, purposeful movement.

Ben’s back arches beneath her and he _whimpers._

Rey places her palms flat against the now hot skin of his chest and pushes herself to sit upright. She crosses her arms to grab the hem of the black sweater and pulls it over her head, casting it aside onto the floor.

His eyes grow even wider, any trace of concern or dissent now vanished, replaced with what Rey can only interpret as anticipation and she thinks perhaps a little _wonder_.

She begins to rhythmically sway her hips back and forth, riding him in a smooth, slow motion.

Ben’s mouth falls even wider open and his eyelids flutter in reaction to the sensation. His breathing becomes a heavy pant, laced with a deep, rumbling groan on his exhales.

“Is that good?”, Rey whispers, her own voice breaking as electricity starts to ripple over every inch of her skin, leaving thousands of tiny goose pimples in their path.

Her question is not one of uncertainty, but of flirtatiousness. She _knows_ how good this feels. But she wants to hear him say it.

Ben’s eyes fall shut and he nods as a low moan rips up from his stomach.

Rey is not satiated by this answer.

“Tell me”, she murmurs through her own uncontrollable moan. A command.

“It’s g- so- so good, Rey, don’t stop”, he forces out.

Rey increases the speed of her strokes, pulling a gurgle of expletives from Ben’s mouth.

“ _Fuck”,_ he growls, his eyes snapping open to hungrily search over every inch of her body and face. He brings his hands up to skim the lightest of touches over her pebbled nipples with the pads of his thumbs, rubbing small circles over them when she reacts with a raspy shriek.

He stares up at her, eyes dark yet shining as he marvels at the sight.

“You’re so fucking _beautiful”_ , he purrs, “look at you- riding my cock like such a good girl”.

The praise makes Rey’s blood sing and she instinctively quickens her pace, rogue pieces of her hair falling over her face as her shoulders hunch with the overwhelming pleasure coursing through her, threatening to hurl her over the precipice at any given moment.

Ben squeezes his eyes shut again and drops his hands to cling to the tops of her thighs with a vice-like grip, the sheer span of his palms dwarfing her slender legs entirely.

“Yes, sweetheart- like that- oh fuck- _please_ ”, he whines through strained breaths.

Rey gazes down at him. She adores seeing him like this. Totally unravelled and out of his right mind in bliss. She loves that she can have this effect on him. It makes her feel powerful. Sexy.

She quickens her hips even more, at a frantic pace now, ignoring the burning sensation that is building in her thighs. She grits her teeth and chases the release that is so close within her grasp, rutting her cunt up and down the length of his perfect cock at breakneck speed, a flicker of joy dancing through the part of her brain that is still semi-conscious as it praises some high power for designing Ben to fit so fucking _perfectly_ inside of her.

Ben falls apart within seconds, a raw, animalistic sound erupting from his mouth as he claws at her waist, her arms, as though in a desperate attempt to ground himself, to anchor his body to something on this plane.

Rey’s legs give way underneath her as she joins him at his peak. She collapses forward, pressing her forehead against his, wrapping her hands around his neck and interlocking her fingers through his hair as her orgasm quakes through every fibre of her being. Her senses become distantly hazy and yet pinpoint sharp all at once and every one of her muscles shakes uncontrollably. The sensation continues to rip through her even after Ben is riding the aftershocks and he watches her intently as she lets the wave take her safely back to shore. He peppers kisses on her cheeks as she drifts back into her body.

As the feeling returns to her legs and her skin stops buzzing, the most peaceful of smiles spreads onto Rey’s face and she sighs a long, content hum.

Ben laughs a gentle breathy chuckle in agreement.

⋆ ⋆ ⋆

The pair shower, wrap themselves in their cosiest clothes, and hand in hand they descend the depths of the castle. When they emerge into the snowy grounds, Ben stops Rey just beyond the Entrance Hall’s doors to zip her jacket up its final few centimetres. She beams up at him, her heart swelling at the simple caring gesture, and he bends down to kiss her on the tip of her instantly chilly nose.

Rey leads Ben through the white blanket of snow, down the frozen pathways, past Chewie’s hut and beyond the gate to the forest.

“Where are we going?”, he asks her cautiously.

“You’ll see! Nearly there!”, she replies in a sing-song voice.

Ben has never ventured to this part of the grounds and he steps carefully between the towering trees, allowing Rey to guide him by the hand but always with one hand hovering over the jacket pocket where she knows he stows his wand.

They break through a particularly dense patch of brush and into a large, empty clearing. Rey drops Ben’s hand and takes a few excited steps forward, looking left to right across the void expectantly.

“Grogu?”, she calls out.

The branches and leaves above their head are suddenly whipped into a frenzy as something _huge_ breaks through their cover, smashing them into smithereens to rain down onto Rey and Ben’s heads. A deafening shriek pierces their ears as tremendous, heavy wings twice the size of Rey’s entire body crack through the air with a whip, descending as though going to land right on top of them.

Ben’s head snaps skyward. He throws himself forward, wand drawn in a movement so swift it’s but a blur. He wraps one arm behind himself and around Rey’s body, pulling her close against his back and positioning himself so that his own body is shielding her entirely from whatever monstrous beast is about to rip them limb from limb. It will have to get through him, first, and he won’t go down without a _war_.

The creature lands 15 or so feet in front of them, and then stands perfectly still, its head held high. Like it’s waiting for something.

Its front half looks like some sort of bird… thick, stormy grey feathers adorn the tip of its beaked head, down its neck and chest and fading out just behind its front legs, which are rounded off with razor-sharp talons, each of which is the size of Ben’s arm. From its front legs to its back, it resembles a large, majestic horse. There are no feathers on its rear half, but rather short fur trailing down its back and hind hoofed legs.

Ben scans the half-bird, half-horse beast, and after getting over the initial shock of such a sight, begins to assess for potential weak spots. He leans forward, putting his weight onto his dominant right leg in a defensive duelling stance.

He braces…

The creature takes the tiniest step forward and then makes the most peculiar noise. It’s like a… cackle. A giggle.

Ben physically flinches as it dawns on him…

The noise is coming from Rey.

She has wrapped her arms around his midriff and is peeking up at him from under his armpit, joyous laughter lighting up her features.

He subconsciously lowers his wand and cocks an eyebrow at her. She ducks under his arm and stands next to him, still beaming.

Then she takes one-half step toward the bird-horse animal and _bows_. Low, and slowly. With purpose.

Ben is startled when the creature reciprocates her gesture, bending its front legs to sink to the ground, then straightens up back to its towering, regal stance.

“Ben”, Rey states formally, gesturing between them with one upturned palm, “this is Grogu!”.

Grogu glares at Ben through beady golden eyes, and he swears he sees them narrow a fraction as if displeased at his reaction to the introduction.

“You have to bow”, Rey murmurs from the corner of her mouth.

Without question or hesitation, Ben mimics Rey’s low dip. He holds a crouched position for a few seconds before hesitantly peeking up through his lashes just as Grogu returns the greeting. He doesn’t sink quite as low as he did when welcoming Rey and Ben wonders if that is intentional. He thinks it most probably is.

As both parties rise back to stand, Rey bounces over to the gigantic creature, which seems to somehow double in size suddenly with her small body directly beside for comparison. Grogu lowers his head and Rey runs her fingers soothingly through his feathers, smiling warmly up at him. Ben warily takes a handful of strides to join her, taking the time to soak in the scene before him. He truly is a tremendous creature, statuesque and terrifying, while also impossibly elegant and delicate.

Rey scrunches her nose at Ben as he joins her side. “Get to know each other!”, she chimes as she abruptly darts off toward a small shack that Ben hadn’t noticed before, tucked behind a spindly oak tree.

Ben looks up into the glimmering bird eyes and tentatively extends a hand to run over the silvery feathers that Rey had just been affectionately brushing. Grogu assesses him for a moment, before seemingly making a decision and leaning in to close the gap between them. Ben softly traces lines up and down his long neck with the tips of his fingers and the ball of his hand.

“It’s nice to meet you, Grogu”, he says in a low voice, “you really are magnificent”.

“Isn’t he?”, Rey’s voice sounds from beside him. She stands two dead ferrets dangling from her arm. Ben recoils when he sees the hickory furred mammals swinging just above the ground, but Grogu’s tail starts to whip behind him in eager anticipation.

Without warning, Rey swings one of the dead snacks behind her and flings it high into the air. It hurtles an impressive distance above them and begins to rapidly fall back to earth. Grogu pounces, springing off the ground on his strong, horse hind legs and catching the treat midair, swallowing it whole before he’s even landed back on all fours.

“He’s a Hippogriff”, she continues, “when I realised you had never heard of Boxing Day, it got me thinking about the other English stuff that you probably haven’t experienced yet. And then _that_ had me remembering that Hippogriffs are native to Europe, so you’ve probably never seen one... I’m guessing from your reaction that I was right”. She giggles as he nods in confirmation.

“And he… lives here?”, Ben queries, resuming the flow of attention to Grogu as the Hippogriff playfully nudges him with his beak in protest at the lack thereof.

“I think you’ve got a new friend!”, Rey grins so wide it looks as though her face could split in two before answering his question. “He does, yeah. From what I know, he was in the care of an old friend of Luke’s. I think he was a Snatcher or something. But like, a nice one? I dunno, Chewie always says he was a good man. Anyway, they moved around a lot. I think they got into a bit of trouble. Hippogriffs are rare and _very_ valuable. So eventually, this friend decided that Grogu would be better here, under Luke’s care, with some stability. He’d already been here for a few years when I started school and he was… still very angry. I think he missed his… handler doesn’t sound right… _Dad?_ It took Luke a long time to show him he’s safe with us; that he didn’t have to lash out in fear. Then long story short, Chewie introduced us in my third year, and we’ve been friends ever since!”. She takes a deep gulp of air before turning to look up at the subject of her story. “Haven’t we, mate?”.

Grogu cocks his head low and brushes his feathery cheek against the top of Rey’s head.

Ben stands statue-still, staring down at the ground, his face sombre.

Rey tosses the second ferret some distance away from them, and after retrieving it, Grogu disappears into the trees with a loud, cheerful squawk.

Taking his hand in hers, Rey leads him back in the direction in which they entered the clearing. They walk slowly in silence for a short while. Rey’s mind races as she tries to piece together what has suddenly perturbed Ben’s thoughts so. What is it about Grogu’s story that had resonated, or bothered him?

“It’s hard. Picturing Luke in that way. Being so… understanding and I suppose… patient with Grogu when he was angry, so _scared”,_ he interrupts her musings.

Rey struggles to understand his meaning. She had only ever known Luke in exactly this way. She _wants_ to understand, though, if only he would let her _in._

“Ben… what happened between you two?”, she says, her voice barely above a whisper.

He takes a deep, steady breath and unconsciously clings to her hand a little tighter. His face is focussed like he’s figuring his thoughts into words.

Eventually, he speaks, calm and clear. “My magic manifested when I was very young, and it was strong but very unstable. By the time I was five, things were blowing up every time I got even the slightest bit upset. When my father told me that he was going to miss my third birthday in a row because he had to go away for work, I accidentally shattered every window and mirror in the house”.

Rey’s face rearranges into a contemplative frown as an array of memories flood back to her, but she doesn’t dare interrupt him.

He continues, “so my mother asked Luke to train me. To teach me to control my magic. I was sent to stay with him for a while… but eventually he sent me back. Said he couldn’t help me”.

“Why would he say that?”, Rey blurts out, “you’re a brilliant wizard”.

“He said there’s a _darkness_ in me that not even he can tame. He said it… _scared_ him”, his voice quavers on the last few words, a whimper. “It hurt, Rey. To hear from Luke, the man that couldn’t give up on Anakin Skywalker because he sensed there was still good in him, that he was giving up on me. That I’m just… _bad_ ”.

“But he was wrong-”, Rey interjects, a mix of anger for his hurt and confusion at her Headmaster’s out of character dismissal dripping from her every syllable, “-and he knew it! Chewie told me that he wanted you to study here”.

He squeezes her hand and slows his steps a little, and she catches the quick flash of a small, grateful smile for her passion tugging at his lips.

“Our relationship has never been the same after that. We didn’t speak for a year. When I turned eleven, he practically begged my mother to send me to Hogwarts. I think he wanted a second chance. But I don’t think my mother ever forgave herself for sending me away in the first place. She saw how it damaged me. So, when I told her I would rather study at Ilvermony, she didn’t contest. But I always carried the weight of Luke’s words, and it never got any less heavy”.

They walk on in silence for minutes, perhaps hours, as Rey mulls over this sudden insight into Ben’s childhood.

They turn a corner to the greenhouses, and Rey guides him to sit on a small bench that lines the southernmost glass classroom. She needs to sit, to absorb this scene playing over and over in her head. This image of Luke that Ben has shown her does not fit at all with the man that she knows. The one that doted on every one of his students, pushing them to be the greatest they can be, but always remaining compassionate and gentle with them. She puts the two versions of Luke side by side in her mind, trying to piece together how they can possibly be one and the same. Could the man that had told Ben he had incurable darkness within him really be the same man that encouraged Rey to be at peace with her emotions- to let them flow through her but not let them dampen her heart?

The next image that flashes into her mind is of Leia. Fussing over her soon at Christmas because she can’t let go of the regret of sending him away as a child.

But- she _had_ sent him back to Luke, in the end... hadn’t she?

She sucks in a deep breath. “So… when your mum came over to the Ministry. Why would she make you come with her? If things between you and Luke were still… tense?”, she asks contemplatively. Her tone is wary, still treading lightly on this ground beyond this door that Ben has newly opened to her, cautious that he may snap it shut again if she pushes too much.

Ben’s head dips low and his brow creases at its centre. His shoulders fold in on themselves, as though he is trying to physically vanish into himself.

He is silent for a long while, eventually murmuring in a low voice, “She had no choice… the rumours of my indiscretion at Ilvermony are not entirely unfounded”.

Rey stares at him, dazed, her lips parting.

He tries then to release Rey’s hand, but she tightens her grip on him. She squeezes it reassuringly and moves closer to him, inviting him to continue.

“Are you sure you want to hear this, Rey?”, he utters.

She contemplates this question for a second. Does she? Does she truly believe there is anything that he is capable of doing that would change her view of him now?

Wholeheartedly, she realises. Never.

She nods once.

He recedes further into his defensive posture. “You have to- please- to- _try_ \- to understand. I have to carry the burden of my name every day. To be the son of a President. The nephew of the greatest Auror there has ever been. The grandson of the most feared dark wizard there has ever been. And to know I will never live up to any of them. To not _want_ to. I want to be my own man, make my own way-”.

Rey takes this in, a new level of understanding for Ben unfolding before her. She had never known her family and had even resented Ben for holding such contempt for his. She had expected him to be grateful for them. But to bare that pressure of their names, their reputations, in your heart every day… it would crush you.

“-there was a boy in my year. A _rival,_ you might call him, petulant as that is. He spent years trying to get a rise out of me. A reaction. And eventually, he got one. I lost my temper with him just for a second and I… I lost control”. He hangs his head even lower, his voice trailing off.

“What happened?”, she whispers.

“I thought- just for a second- I wished that he would feel pain. True pain. I didn’t mean to actually- _cast_ it”, he falls silent.

_The Cruciatus Curse_ , Rey thinks.

Ben used an Unforgivable Curse.

His words begin to tumble from his lips as if they are working independently from the rest of his body. “I was expelled, rightfully so. They should have locked me up and thrown away the fucking key. It would be more than I deserve. I truly think they would have if Luke hadn’t stepped in. My mother was coming here anyway, and he promised her and Ilvermony that he would keep an eye on me- keep me in line. I would never- I didn’t mean- “.

A few hot tears begin to streak down his cheeks, leaving damp trails in their wake. Seeing him break like this shakes Rey to her core and she instinctively reaches up to cradle his face in both her hands, tilting his head to look her in the eyes and wiping the tears from his winter kissed skin with her thumbs.

“Listen to me, Ben”, she says in a voice that is both soft and stern, “I don’t believe for a single second that you would ever intentionally harm _anyone_. It was just an accident”.

“But it proves that Luke was right about me- right the whole time”, he stutters.

“ _No”,_ she affirms, “it doesn’t. All it shows is that he should never have walked away from you. And I think- I think he probably knows that. I think his biggest regret is turning his back on you when you needed him most. I think… I think I might be proof of that”. She becomes quiet, thoughtful, flicking back to the memories that rose to the surface of her consciousness earlier.

Ben’s breath evens out and his eyes become clear and focussed on her face. He senses that there is gravity behind her words, some deeper understanding, and waits expectantly.

She drops her hands and laces her fingers through his, tracing small comforting circles on his palms. Not just in an effort to comfort him, but herself for the part of her that she is about to open up.

“I- erm- I grew up in a muggle care home. And not a very nice once. The man that ran it had no love for us, he just saw us as a way to make money off the government-”, she trails off, thoughtful. Ben is perfectly still, watching her intently.

She goes on. “-when- when I was a kid, really _weird_ things used to happen to me too when I got angry. One night, some of the other kids were teasing me, calling me a freak, and I got _so_ upset- I was yelling- _screaming_ at them- and before I knew what was going on the curtains in our bedroom burst into flames. That was the day before my eleventh birthday. The very next day, Luke showed up at the home and told me I’m a witch and… I left with him right there and then. I wasn’t exactly a model student for the first few months. I struggled to control my magic… to channel it in the right way. I accidentally set fire to my bed twice in my first week”, she stops to allow herself a reminiscent chuckle, and Ben’s chest shakes with a tiny puff of laughter also.

Then his face drops into concern, his eyes wide and glistening but heavy in their outer corners.

“Your parents?”, he asks.

“I never knew them. I don’t even have any memories of them, really. But… and it sounds cheesy… Luke was the first person who ever showed me any sort of care. He was kind to me. He understood that I had never had any explanation for my powers, and then to be told they were real, and I wasn’t crazy, to then fighting with myself to control them… it was so bloody hard. But Luke took the time to explain the source of my magic to me. He showed me I didn’t have to hide it anymore- to squash it down until it boils over and causes harm. He was patient. In a way that a parent would be… in a way that an uncle _should_ be, Ben. For so long I thought it was the wand thing, but now I think he was trying to learn from his past mistakes… with me. And with Grogu, I suppose”.

She peeks up at him through her lashes to gauge his reaction.

Ben wears a scowl. “Where can I find this care home scum?” is all he says.

Rey can’t help but smile a little at his show of protectiveness. “He’s a world away, now. Unkar was… a venomous old tosser. I learned not to expect any love- or even kindness- from him at a very early stage. He mostly ignored our existence, really”, she replies.

“Will you have to go back to him? When we graduate?”, he asks blankly.

“I’m not planning to. I’m not sure where I’ll go yet but I’ll figure it out”, Rey says optimistically.

Ben’s face is hard for a few seconds longer, but then it relaxes and breaks into a knowing smile. He nods once, exhaling slowly, seemingly banishing a few years of tension in the process. Rey thinks he looks oddly peaceful. Resolute.

He leans forward to dust a kiss on her cheek and as he draws back away, freezes.

“Wand thing?”, he says abruptly.

“What?”, Rey says, dumbstruck.

“You said there was a… _wand thing_ … with Luke”, he asks in a curious tone.

“Oh!”, Rey giggles, “my wand has a phoenix feather core. And it happens to be a feather from Luke’s own phoenix. He seemed to warm to me immediately when he realised, so I figured that the fact that wand chose me means I have the phoenix’s approval and by extension Luke’s approval? I never really understood it if I’m honest. Wand lore is all- “, she waves one hand in the air in vague gesticulation.

Ben begins to fiddle with a strand of her hair, his head tilted to one side and a tiny smirk playing around his mouth. “That phoenix belonged to Anakin. And it’s notoriously… picky when it comes to shedding feathers to be given as wand cores. In fact, I can only think of three wands that have held one”.

Rey blinks twice. “Who?”, she asks warily.

“Luke did, a long, long time ago. But he lost it during the last wizarding war. In a duel with Anakin himself, actually. I believe he favours a Thunderbird tail feather core now… you carry one, of course… and the third…”. He pulls his own hawthorn wand from the inside pocket of his jacket and twirls it gracefully between his fingers, his smirk intensifying.

Her mouth falls open. Wand lore _is_ a mystery to her, but she knows enough to appreciate the significance of her and Ben being chosen by wands that share a core from the same phoenix. A famously stingy phoenix, too, apparently.

It makes her feel like she’s been… connected to Ben her whole life. Physically by the shared wand core, yes, but also by some unseen force. Like they’ve both been stepping heavily down a lonely road that leads to each other. Being pulled together by some invisible string tying them together.

A sudden wild array of emotions bubbles up to the surface. Joy, excitement, longing, regret. They choke her, pulling the breath from her lungs and making her vision sway.

She attempts to muddle through the various threads of thoughts, piecing them into coherent sentences in some attempt to make sense of what she is feeling. Happiness, yet grief.

“I’m sorry”, he yanks her from her reverie in time to witness his face; dark and twisted. He looks deep in contemplation, the same trail of mixed emotions clearly on his mind also.

Rey brings a hand up to rest on his cheek, coaxing his eyes to meet hers.

“I’m sorry for how things were between us- at the start. I was- I pushed you away”, he says solemnly.

She assesses him for a moment, recounting those first few months. They had both lashed out when the other was trying to reach for them, and both subsequently been burned by each other. So terrified of letting someone in, just to watch them leave like they always did.

“I’m sorry, too”, she says softly, “but I wouldn’t change it. Our stupid, stubborn mistakes led us here, and here is… pretty great”.

His eyes skim over her face, his eyes large and shining, a thousand unsaid words shimmering through them as he tries to find the words.

They come to him, and he settles on her eyes once more. His bottom lip trembles.

“I love you, Rey”.

Every thought in Rey’s head is silenced as his words sink in.

“I love you”, she says with every part of her soul.

Ben grins his boyish grin as she pulls him close and presses their lips together, a shared promise that they will never again be anything other than unified. As one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That Grogu/Ben parallel just sort of unfolded as I was writing and I really hope I don't read it back in a few days and wonder what on Earth I was thinking :) :) :) 
> 
> Also- I'd be really interested to hear your takes on how I'm writing Luke and his backstories with both Ben and Rey. Of all the characters, he is the one I'm struggling with the most. I've tried to take into consideration his characterisation in the sequel trilogy (which I both agreed and didn't agree with at times) and also balance that with how I personally believe he would act/react/grow within the scenarios I've put him in.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Valentine's Day everyone! 
> 
> I'm so sorry it's been so long since I last updated, but I wrote all through the night so I could get this updated for you today. 
> 
> I've spent the last few weeks really mapping out the rest of the story and where I want it to go in terms of resolution. I hit a bit of a wall after the last update as it felt like a moment from which I could have gone in a few different directions. I have a good idea of what I want to do now, so I'm planning to get my head down whenever I can to write. 
> 
> Thank you as always for sticking with me, I really hope I haven't lost anyone between the last update and now. I'm still very very much in love with writing this and I want to get it right so have been taking the time to make some big story changing decisions!

The handful of days that follow the high of Christmas are still, and peaceful, bar the bountiful amount of sex that the couple enjoys frankly whenever, and sometimes _wherever_ , they see fit.

When the morning of New Year’s Eve rolls around, Rey and Ben agree the very second that they wake up to spend it in their sanctuary, with a pile of sweet snacks and perhaps a few rounds of intense strip exploding snap.

Their Headmaster has a very different idea.

At lunch, he excitedly hushes the chattering of the small cluster of remaining students’ and teachers, a wide grin on his face.

“My friends, I thought perhaps this evening I might ring in the new year with a trip to the Three Broomsticks for a drink or two. I would be thrilled if you would all join me”. His eyes dart almost nervously in Ben’s direction. There are hums of electric anticipation from all at the prospect of letting their hair down at Hogsmeade’s favourite pub.

As the group filter out of the Great Hall, full of buzz and forming plans for the night ahead, Luke sheepishly approaches his nephew.

“Good morning, you two!”, he says brightly, plastering on another humungous smile that Rey can see straight through.

He is _bricking_ it. Things have been going surprisingly well on the track to repairing his fractured relationship with Ben, and he is terrified it will be unrailed at any given moment.

“Hello Luke!”, Rey replies enthusiastically, returning his face cracking smile in a way that she hopes sets him at ease.

“Will I- will we be seeing you this evening?”, he asks, only the tiniest tinge of nervousness in his tone. He looks back and forth between them, his head tilting upward to meet Ben’s eyes.

Rey also looks up at her tower of a boyfriend, her eyebrows peaking expectantly. Ben doesn’t look back at her, but his chest rises and deflates in the faintest of resigned sighs that only she, so attuned to his tiniest quirks, would pick up on.

“Of course we will, Uncle. Wouldn’t miss it”, he says with a gentle smile that doesn’t quite crease the corners of his eyes in the way it should.

Luke’s eyes flash bright and he nods once before spinning on his heel and walking back in a flurry of grey robes toward the table to re-join Professor Tano, the only remaining person in the hall.

Ben does look at Rey now, although he doesn’t move his head at all. Instead, his eyes flicker sideways and down at her.

She giggles heartily at his melodramatic expression and reaches to grab his hand, giving it a playful squeeze.

“It’ll be fun!”, she squeals through her laughter.

“Yes. _Fun_ ”, he responds blankly.

⋆ ⋆ ⋆

Dressing ‘ _cute’,_ as her dormitory roommates would call it, isn’t exactly Rey’s… forte. But as she stands alone in her dormitory looking down at the suddenly drab-looking jeans and t-shirt that she has laid atop her bed, the urge to dress in such a way hits her like a Bludger.

She instinctively looks to Kaydel’s trunk, contemplating for a second before crossing the room and flinging it’s heavy lid wide open. Luckily, the Gryffindor girls have a ‘sharing is caring’ policy when it comes to the vitalness of _fashion._

Not that Rey has _ever_ taken advantage of that generosity between friends.

She rifles through the mountains of various dresses, blouses and tiny skirts, taking a moment to marvel at how her friend manages to fit it all in her now seemingly tiny trunk. She _must_ have cast a quite hefty extension charm on it.

Rey discards everything pink, low cut, floral or frilly, which actually accounts for quite a fair chunk of Kaydel’s possessions.

She pulls a variety of outfits from the trunk, eventually settling to try on a black sweater that shows off just the smallest amount of cleavage, paired with a tartan patterned skirt in Gryffindor red and gold. A ‘skater’ skirt, she thinks she’s heard Kaydel call it.

To complete the look, she puts on a pair of black over-the-knee socks with some pump shoes and brushes some mascara through her long lashes.

Carefully refolding all of the discarded options, Rey returns them to their home before standing to assess herself in the bedrooms tallest mirror.

She twists her hips from side to side, letting the teasingly short skirt swish around the few inches of exposed skin of her thighs and in her head hears an imaginary delighted squeal from Kaydel.

She feels good.

No, _incredible._

Relishing her newfound confidence, she turns to race down the dormitory stairs and across the common room.

Ben looks as though his eyes might fall out of their sockets when he sees Rey clamber through the portrait hole. He scans up and down her form, then abruptly grabs her waist and pulls her toward him, planting a hungry kiss on her lips and tracing his fingers lightly over the bare skin of her legs.

“Come on now, Benjamin, you’re going to make us late”, she says through his rushed and desperate kisses. But she very deliberately rubs the heel of her hand over his crotch, feeling the increasing hardness growing beneath his jeans.

He _groans._

“Fuck the party”, the sound rumbles from the back of his throat, “you look _so_ good in that little skirt- let’s stay- “.

Without warning, Rey breaks free of the kiss and ducks under his arm grabbing frantically to pull her back in.

As she strides toward the doorway to the Grand Staircase, Ben slides a hand under the pleats of the tartan to plant a firm slap on her backside. Rey squeals in delight as he wraps a heavy arm around her shoulders and growls into her ear, “you’re going to regret that later, brat”.

Rey smirks.

⋆ ⋆ ⋆

Luke, Professors Tano and Kenobi, Chewie and the Syndulla family are already sat at a large, circular mahogany table in the corner of the room when Rey and Ben step inside the warm embrace of the Three Broomsticks. The dimly lit pub smells invitingly of spiced butterscotch and pumpkin and rogue silver streamers hang from the rafters for the occasion.

“At last! Welcome!”, Luke exclaims when they take their seats, Ben between him and Chewie, while Rey opts to sit opposite, besides Professor Tano and Jacen.

Luke gestures to Lando the landlord, who promptly brings the newcomers two flutes of fancy-looking champagne with his usual flirtatious wink at the ladies. Ben thanks him and salutes his uncle before taking a deep swig of the bubbling liquid. Luke begins to babble conversationally to him, and Rey tries to listen in over the din of pub noise when-

“Hi, Rey!”, Jacen’s cheerful voice sounds from her right.

Rey turns her head to grin at him. “Hey, Jacen! Hello, Professor”, she nods at the Transfiguration teacher, “and hello again, Mrs Syndulla”, she says to the otherworldly beautiful green-haired witch who is now smiling warmly at her.

“Hera”, she corrects in her velvet voice, “it’s very nice to see you again, Rey”.

Rey’s smile doesn’t falter for a millisecond. “Have you guys had a nice week? What do you think of Hogwarts, Hera?”, she asks.

“It’s _magnificent_. I’ve had the most wonderful time. Everyone has been so welcoming”, she says gratefully, clutching her hands to her chest.

“We showed her the giant squid!”, Jacen says excitedly, “Well, the lake was mostly frozen, so we didn’t _properly_ see him, but he stuck a tentacle through the ice- I told mum he was waving at her!”.

Hera nods, glowing as she watches her son recount the event before adding “it was fascinating- I’ve never seen anything like it”.

“I like to fly over the lake sometimes and I’ve got a good glimpse a few times. He’s really earned the title of ‘giant squid’; I’ll tell ya”, Rey laughs.

The group spend the next few hours laughing hard and drinking harder.

Luke, Chewie and Ben spiral into a pit of joyous reminiscing. Chewie gives all who will listen to an animated retelling of the time that Ben had found an injured baby dragon in the woods close to the family home; probably escaped from an inexperienced breeder or lost in an illegal deal gone wrong. He had carried her home under his jacket and nursed her back to health in utter secrecy in his bedroom for _months_ , only for her to grow too large too quickly and accidentally smash his bed to smithereens while trying to hurriedly hide under it one day when Leia came knocking.

His mother had not known whether to scold him for his carelessness or reward him for his overwhelming kindness.

Chewie, on the other hand, had never been prouder and taken Ben to Romania to pass custody of the dragon to a sanctuary better equipped to care for her, where she could be among her own kind.

Rey spends some time quietly watching the trio, pouring and cackling over their shared history with such happiness, such glee.

She’s unsure of whether it’s the alcohol currently rushing through her senses and sending a faint but welcome buzz through her head, but she has the overwhelming urge to scoop them all into a hug. To tell them she loves them and to stay just like _this_.

“I know”, comes a quiet voice beside her.

She trails the sound of the voice and is met by the capri blue eyes of a serene-looking Professor Tano. Beside her, a jubilant looking Professor Kenobi laughs heartily at another story being recounted by Luke.

Rey’s mouth falls open to reply but finds no words.

A smile pulls up the corners of Tano’s plush lips and at that moment a thousand emotions and memories appear to adorn her face.

She glances at the three men, and back to Rey. “To see them together in such a way. As family. After all these years”, she says barely above a whisper.

Rey tries to piece together her Professor’s words; she speaks like she is… _invested_? As though she has a shared piece of this history.

“Do- er- do you- “, she trails off, unsure what her question actually is.

Tano’s smile grows. “I knew Anakin. A thousand lifetimes ago”.

“You did?”, Rey breathes and finds herself unconsciously leaning closer to the woman.

Tano nods once. “He was my best friend”, she says, her voice calm and smooth.

Rey takes a moment to absorb this. Up until she had met Ben she had never even heard of Anakin Skywalker, just his gruesome later title of Vader. Even then, she had only ever read that name on the pages of Hogwarts’ darkest, most guarded books. During the wizarding war, it had been made a Taboo as a way to capture any who was brave- or foolish enough- to speak it aloud.

It was a fear still very much rooted in wizarding society to this day. No one dared speak his name for fear of somehow bringing him back. But Rey knows now what really came of that terrible man. He had been thwarted by his true self. Bested by the good in his own heart.

As Rey watches two generations of Anakin’s blood giggle like schoolgirls together, drunk as skunks and without a care in the world, the man that has so far been just an array of names begins to become somehow very real to her.

“What was he like?”, she asks absentmindedly.

Tano’s head dips low and at first Rey thinks she has upset her. But then she sees her lips part into a brilliant, if not mischievous grin.

“He was- “, she pauses, contemplative, “-a monumental pain in my arse _”_.

Rey laughs airily at the assessment, and Tano lifts her head to look back at her, her chest rattling in laughter also.

“Anakin was-”, she continues with a deep breath, “-cocky. Arrogant. Impatient. Downright reckless at times… but he was also brave. Determined. Kind. And the most selfless man I have ever known. He fell because he was made to believe it would keep the woman that he loved safe. And he rose again to keep their son safe”.

Rey can’t help but beam at the mental image of this young man, full of life and character. She pictures him and a younger Professor, arm in arm, unmarred by the cruelty of war and not yet torn apart by powers that wish to corrupt them for their own good.

“I think I would have liked him”, Rey eventually states. Wholeheartedly.

“Oh, you would have”, Professor Kenobi’s voice startles her a little. He sits with his elbow resting atop the table, hand curled around a small crystal glass of firewhiskey and leaning in her direction. His eyes look bright. Ablaze. “And he would have thought you were _brilliant”._

Rey’s heart swells.

A short while before midnight, Luke gathers up the partygoers to shepherd them back toward the castle. He and Ben stagger the entire way with their arms thrown around each other- Ben’s around his uncle’s shoulders and Luke, with no chance of reaching Ben’s shoulders, around his waist.

Luke begins to belt out a horrendously off-key rendition of The Weird Sisters’ “ _Do the Hippogriff”_ , with Ben, Chewie and Kenobi chipping in various even more ear-piercing harmonies and passionate air guitar solos.

Rey walks a little way behind the quartet, side by side with Tano, their arms linked for support as they cackle themselves breathless at the wailing and shrieking before them.

They arrive at the clock tower courtyard with a few minutes to spare. As they step over the threshold and into, Rey supposes, a subtle but effective warming charm, they are enveloped in a bubble of comfort that has them all simultaneously shimmying their winter jackets off their bodies.

Luke flourishes his wand, summoning an array of tumblers and decanters full of the fanciest whiskey from his office cabinet. With thanks, they all take a drink and huddle together to gaze expectantly up at the looming clock tower.

Ben slides to Rey’s side, looping an arm around her waist and pressing a kiss to the top of her head. She responds by leaning into him as they watch the needles of the gigantic, intricate clock face above them tick, tick, tick, inching ever closer to midnight.

As the bell rings out, reverberating through their bones and welcoming the brand-new year, the crowd all cheer and clink their glasses together in celebration.

Ben turns to face Rey. He hooks one finger under her chin and brings his lips to meet hers.

He tastes like fire, spice, smoky oak wood, and magic.

Breaking the contact of his warm mouth, he breathes, “Happy New Year, little pumpkin”.

She smiles, scrunching her nose at the sound of the nickname on his whiskey laced breath. “Happy New Year”, she returns.

_Bang_.

In unison, they whip their heads to look in the direction of the noise.

Dazzling, intricate fireworks have started to explode and fizzle above them, splaying outward to then burn bright and rain waterfalls of specks of light down around them.

Luke stands, whiskey glass in one hand and held to his lips mid-sip, his wand in the other. He twirls his wrist expertly in beautiful fluid movements through the air.

The sparkling fireworks zip and pulse from the tip of his wand. They crack, whizz and spin all around the courtyard in vibrant shades of gold, then green, then red, blue and violet. Every colour flashes around them, and even some that Rey thinks might be brand new. They take the forms of ferocious dragons, weaving through the sky before morphing into a phoenix, soaring higher still and spreading its wings to explode into a thousand cherry blossoms, floating down gracefully to land around their feet.

A golden snitch made entirely of pure light darts around her head and when she reaches out to catch it, dissolves into a mist of glittering smoke in her palm, leaving no trace.

There are gasps of ‘ _oohs’_ and ‘ _aahs’_ from around them. Professors Tano and Kenobi occasionally weaving their own magic amongst the Headmasters to heighten the spectacle even further.

Rey gawps at the sight all around them as it unfolds; a truly wonderous display of magic. She spins this way and that, not wanting to miss a single second.

Ben watches intently too, his eyes wide as he marvels both at the spell work and at how impossibly beautiful Rey looks admiring them, their lights reflected in her large hazel eyes like spirits.

Then he fixes his eyes on Luke, a smirk tugging at his expression.

“You’re showing off, uncle”, he teases.

“Only a little”, Luke winks at him.

⋆ ⋆ ⋆

The perhaps peculiar mix of students, teachers and parents, now turned the dearest of friends, drink and dance and laugh into the small hours of the morning. One by one they peel off from the crowd, surrendering to sleep and exhaustion. Or in Kenobi’s case, one too many before being carried off by a very amused Tano who insists on calling him a lightweight the entire way up to his quarters.

Rey and Ben sit on the edge of the courtyard’s fountain, both waving their wands haphazardly through the air as they conjure up their own, much less elaborate fireworks.

At one point, Ben turns his wand into an impressive never-ending sparkler, whisking his hand around in quick motions and drawing trailing, often lewd shapes in the air before giggling like a naughty kid.

“It’s a shame they don’t include ‘sparkler penis 101’ in the N.E.W.T.s, you’d get an O for sure”, Rey pokes at him.

Ben laughs, snorting hard through his nose and clutching his stomach as his giggle turns into a full-on cackle.

Realisation hits Rey as she sends a twisting green snake up into the air, screeching and disappearing into the night sky.

“I can’t believe I _graduate_ this year”, she mutters.

Ben stifles the crackling light at the tip of his wand and fires an orange cobra hurtling in the same direction as hers.

They sit contently for a while, soaking in the last remnants of joy in the air around them and periodically shooting half-arsed spells into the nothingness above them and around the courtyard.

“What will you do after you do graduate?”, Ben eventually asks coolly.

“Dunno” she shrugs, “I’ve not really thought much about a _career_. I’ve not thought much about life beyond Hogwarts at all, actually”.

“I sort of assumed that you would want to pursue Quidditch. Professionally”, he states.

Rey contemplates this. She _adores_ Quidditch, of course. But as a career? Every day for the rest of her life?

“I don’t think so”, she says both to herself and him. “I mean, I love it, sure. Perhaps I’ll join a Sunday league or something”.

Ben snorts again.

“I think…”, she continues thoughtfully, “perhaps I’d like to be a Healer. Or maybe an Auror”. She sets a glowing lion loose from her wand and it begins to run fast laps around where they sit. “If I actually pass any of my bloody exams”, she adds with a slight sigh.

“You could do absolutely anything you put your mind to, sweetheart. Truly. You are an extraordinary woman, and an equally extraordinary witch”, Ben says, casting up a lioness to chase playfully after her lion.

She smiles gratefully at him, a sudden warmth spreading out from her somewhere in her chest.

They sit peacefully for some time longer as Rey contemplates what her life could possibly look like beyond school. Hogwarts had been her whole life for the last seven years and all she had ever thought about as far as moving past it was the fact that she would never have to see Plutt’s slimy face again.

But beyond that.

Nothing.

She meanders down a trail of thought as to where she and her friends might be in five years. She expects Finn would train to be an Auror. Perhaps Poe would join him on that venture, but then again Poe has always been too much of a free spirit to commit to _‘the establishment’,_ as he dons it.

Rose would pursue a career in politics, obviously. She had had her heart set on that since she was four years old.

Ben would be-

Where would Ben be?

A chill rips through her soul and she suddenly feels as though the freezing winter air has torn through the charm keeping them safe from the elements beyond the courtyards stone arches.

She hadn’t even thought- after they graduate-

“What, erm- “, she clears her throat to level out the crack that laces it and rearranges her features to one of casual apathy, “what will you do? When you lea-finish school?”.

Ben is deathly silent, becoming abruptly transfixed with weaving a river of light around them, but Rey notices instantly the little furrow dented between his brows.

“I- I would like to teach”, he responds, “to be able to guide young witches and wizards in their most defining moments”.

“Professor Solo, huh? That’s kind of hot”, Rey forces herself to make the joke to try and cover her sudden panic and he nudges her gently with his elbow, rolling his eyes.

“Would you- at Ilvermony?”, she blurts out and instantly winces at herself.

“Would I what?”, he asks slowly.

“Ilvermony- teach- would you- teach at Ilvermony?”, Rey stumbles clumsily over the words.

“I don’t know”, is all he says in way of response.

Rey swallows the Quaffle sized lump now forming in her throat and intensely focuses on trailing her wand through the air, adding a ribbon of her own magic interlaced with his. It burns bright, ebbing and pulsing in an uneasy way reminiscent of its caster’s mood. She fires off more scarlet red fireworks, right through the middle of their efforts and it dissipates like fog.

There is silence for what feels like an eternity.

“I do like it here though”, he tears her back into the present with his voice, low and smooth.

Rey halts her onslaught of spells to look at him, sitting side-on from her and focussing intently on his wand.

She blinks twice. “At Hogwarts?”.

His mouth twitches. “Sure. The weather is shit, but it has its… _perks_ ”.

He turns to look her in the eye then.

“Would that be alright with you? If I maybe- “.

“Yes”, she basically shouts in his face, which twists into her favourite lopsided grin in return.

Ben brings his free hand up to weave his fingers through the hair falling down her back and plants a delicate kiss on her forehead.

“That’s settled then”, he sighs happily against her skin, then shifts down to plant another on her lips before adding in a sudden low, commanding voice-

“And don’t think I’ve forgotten about your little _indiscretion_ earlier. You’re in trouble when we get back to our room”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some rambles for you post chapter...
> 
> \- I just really wanted the Syndulla family to be happy and this is my way of dealing with it okay.  
> \- I have a lot of feelings about Ahsoka/Obi Wan/Anakin and I'm sorry if I've harped on about them all too much.   
> \- I really wanted Luke to reconcile with a redeemed Ben in the ST and again this is my way of coping with the fact that they never did and Leia died not knowing why her son truly fell to the dark side. I'm fine though I'm not even crying about it over a year later.


End file.
